The Law Firm "YUST" will represent Russia in the Court of Arbitration of the city of Moscow in the case against the Library of the USA Congress

The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Library filed with the Court of Arbitration of the city of Moscow a lawsuit against the Library of the USA Congress and the State of the USA demanding the return of seven rare Judaist books from the Schneerson library, the press service of the Ministry informs. The Law Firm "YUST" will represent the interests of the Russian side of the case.

The Library of the USA Congress received the books from the collection of the Center of Oriental Literature of the RSL, which became the subject of the dispute, in 1994 for temporary use under the system of International Library Subscription and never returned. The Ministry of Culture points out that no reaction from the Library of the USA Congress followed the demand by the RSL to return the books. Since in the USA the books were given for temporary use to an American religious organization Agudas Chasidei Chabad, it has also been brought to take part in the trial.

Yury Pilipenko, Managing Partner of the Law Firm "YUST", told Pravo.Ru that he believes that the perspectives of the lawsuit are positive. He says: “Had there been no legal motives for filing it, I would not have put my signature as the attorney of the claimant (the Ministry of Culture of Russia)”. According to him, the lawyers of the Firm are prepared for “a serious discussion on each of the claims with the respondent’s attorneys – if they show up”.

Lenta.Ru reminds that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended the Ministry of Culture to resort to courts in February of 2013. This was caused by the judgment by an American court, which imposed on Russia a fine of 50 thousand USD per day of keeping of the Scheerson library. Russia refuses to recognize the authority of the American court and insists that the documents are public property. The authorities have recently gifted the documents to the Jewish museum, which has opened in Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin, having visited the museum, said that the Schneerson library matter will now be closed.

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