Jewish group wants to file lawsuits against anti-Semites in Russia

The Russian Federation of Jewish Communities has announced that it intends to file a lawsuit against politicians and public activists who recently made anti-Semitic statements. The so-called "Letter of the 500", signed by a large number of prominent Russian citizens, called for investigations into Jewish companies and the banning of Jewish organizations for being "extremist". Some of the signatories also made other statements insulting Jews. The Russian prosecutor general's office later received a similar letter signed by approximately 5,000 people. "From the legal point of view, it is quite difficult to accuse the authors of the 'Letter of the 500' of sowing inter-ethnic discord. But, in addition to the letter, there were statements which insulted the honor and dignity of Jews and have damaged their business reputation," a spokesman of the Federation told a press conference in Moscow. Meanwhile, the prosecutor general's office has confirmed that it will not open criminal proceedings against the authors of the letter.