U.S. Judge Rules Against Russia on Jewish Documents

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has decided that the Russian Federation must return the Schneerson Collection, which contains tens of thousands of pages of Jewish texts captured during World War II. The decision, which became public on Wednesday, follows several years of litigation. In 2009, the Russian Federation ceased its participation in the proceedings, and the plaintiffs moved for the entry of default judgment. The decision, signed by Chief Judge Robert C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, finds that plaintiffs have met their burden of showing that the "expropriation" exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) applied because Russia violated international law by seizing property belonging to plaintiffs without compensation and because the Russian sovereign defendants engaged in commercial activities in the United States.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFc7ttwQGYSosBjFQRmWjXaJVBxgD9HCUE9O3 (AP News)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4916135/Docket%2005-1548%20%28%2381%29.pdf (PDF of Decision)