June 21, 2012 BRUSSELS (JTA) — Latvian Justice Minister Gaidis Berzins has resigned in protest of plans to offer restitution for Jewish property seized after the Holocaust. Berzins, chair of the rightist All For Latvia-For Fatherland and Freedom Party, announced his resignation on Wednesday, the country’s news agency Leta reported. In 2006, the Latvian parliament […]
May 10, 2012- June 10, 2012 A Brief UCSJ Report on the Situation of Xenophobia, Racism and Intolerance in the Russian Federation
During the review period, nationalist forces continued to be an active part of the protest movement. They were present during the so-called “March of Millions” on May 6 on Bolotnaya Square, at least 2 participants of the nationalist movement were arrested for alleged “mass riots”. The SOVA center reports that among nationalist leaders present during […]
Sergei Magnitsky
UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union The Voice of Emigration, Jewish Survival, and Human Rights in the Former Soviet Union Since 1970 June 13, 2012 Dear Member of Congress, We are religious and human rights organizations which work together on issues of international importance and today we are writing you to support the […]
Jews Meet in Moldova to Celebrate Heritage
Some 400 Jews have gathered in the former Soviet republic of Moldova for a festival to celebrate the Jewish heritage of the former Soviet countries. Artists, scientists and musicians from Israel, the United States and the former Soviet republics will attend the four-day conference, which began Thursday in this country of 4.1 million with a […]
Dress Like an Orthodox Jew
Tourists in town for Euro 2012 have been urged to avoid a restaurant in the Ukraine that invites customers to dress up as and mimic Orthodox Jews. According to Dr Ephraim Zuroff, the Nazi-hunter and a director of the human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, “At the Golden Rose” is one of two antisemitic […]
A Few Thoughts from the President – Look For The Union Label
From the Desk of the (UCSJ) President- I thought of the old ILGWU fight song while recently meeting with the directors of the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL division) in Washington DC to discuss how to counter the new Russian Extremism law which has targeted religions that don’t conform […]
Risk of Police Abuse at the Euro 2012 Soccer Competition
“Amnesty International today [April 30, 2012] called for urgent reforms within the Ukrainian police ahead of the Euro 2012 soccer competition, in the wake of the robbery and severe beating of two men by six officers in Lviv on April 21. With only 38 days to go until Euro 2012 kicks off, Amnesty International urges […]
Grave-digging in Feodosia
On April 22nd the Jewish organizations of Simferopol arrived at the 10th kilometer mark on the Feodosia Highway to plant seedlings in honor of the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance day. On December 11-13 1941 over 14,000 Jews and Krymchaks were murdered by the Nazis in the tank defense moats at this location. The moat was […]
UCSJ SUPPORTS S. 1039
In 2008 Sergei Magnitsky was detained for investigating corruption. One year later he died from mistreatment in prison at the age of 37. The Sergei Magnitsky bill would prevent Russian authorities responsible for human rights abuses from traveling to the US and storing their ill-gotten cash overseas. Please call your Senator and ask him […]
UPDATE: Possible Hate Crimes in Kiev
According information from the African Ukrainian Council, on the night of April 7-8 in Kyiv a Guinea citizen and young, black, male student of Kiev University was attacked by five young men. The student was hospitalized. He still couldn’t speak after that attack. It is unclear if it was a hate crime. Also: April 9, […]