Judge Orders Daily Fine on Russia, Despite Justice Dept. Opposition

A federal judge has just ordered a daily fine of $50,000 on Russia so long as the library, which contains thousands of seforim and manuscripts from the previous Chabad Rabeiim, is not returned. The Obama administration – through the state department – had voiced their objection to such action fearful it would harm the U.S./Russian relationship.

The following was exclusively reported by TMZ: Score a big one for religious freedom — a judge just nailed the Russian Government with huge fines for refusing to turn over some priceless books and manuscripts that were stolen from the preeminent worldwide Jewish cultural organization … TMZ has learned.

Chabad sued the Russian Federation for illegally refusing to turn over thousands of religious books and manuscripts which recorded the group’s core teachings.  In 2010, a U.S. federal judge ruled the Russians had to return the artifacts, but the Russkies said niet.

Lawyers for Chabad — Marshall Grossman and Seth Gerber of the law firm of Bingham, McCutchen — just won a huge victory.  A federal judge ruled today that the Russian Government must pay Chabad $50,000 a day for each day they refuse to fork over the books.

The penalties will amount to $18 mil a year.

Interestingly, the Obama Administration through the State Dept. went to court to oppose an award of sanctions, arguing they would screw up U.S./Russian relations.  The judge didn’t buy it.

Earlier today the JTA reported the following: The Chabad-Lubavitch movement asked a U.S. judge to fine Russia for refusing to hand over confiscated Jewish scriptures, but the U.S. Justice Department opposed the move.

According to the Associated Press, Chabad lawyer Seth Gerber last week asked Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in Washington to fine Russia for not transferring tens of thousands of religious books and manuscripts about the group’s core teachings from its state library and military archive.

U.S. Justice Department lawyer Joel McElvain said the U.S. government has made progress, albeit “slow and halting,” on the matter. He said that fines would amount to a substantial step backward.

Lamberth ordered the institutions to give up the items in 2010, five years after Chabad sued for their return. Russia has not recognized the authority of the U.S. court and is refusing to give up the artifacts, saying they are important to Russian national heritage.

The report did not sa