US opposes penalty for Russia over Chabad books
The Obama administration is opposing a bid by the Crown Heights-based Chabad-Lubavitch movement to have civil fines levied against Russia for failing to obey a court order to return its historic books and documents. The protracted dispute has halted the loan of Russian art works for exhibit in the United States.
The Justice Department is arguing that judicial sanctions against Russia in this case would be contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests and inconsistent with U.S. law.
Chabadh convinced Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court here that it has a valid claim to the tens of thousands of religious books and manuscripts, some up to 500 years old, which record the group’s core teachings and traditions.