ATTACK LAUNCHED ON PRESS FREEDOM

 

Jewish center calls for
suppression of books in Russia

 

SWC TO RUSSIAN STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR:
'STOP SALE OF RACIST MATERIAL'
Simon Wiesenthal Institute  Tuesday, May 6, 2003

LOS ANGELES—In a letter to State Public Prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov, the Wiesenthal Center's Director for International Liaison, Dr. Shimon Samuels, informed him that "the bookstore of the Russian State Duma (the Parliament) is currently selling anti-Semitic books from the extremist series, The Library of Social Thought."

Samuels noted that the publications available include "the notorious Selected Works on Racial Science by the hatemonger, Hans Guenther (published by Belye L'vy of Moscow, 2002), who, in his introduction, unabashedly praises racism, Nazism and Fascism."

He added that, "Not only is this an insult to the 25 million Russian martyrs to Nazism in World War Two, but a violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and its legislative provisions against incitement—outrageously flaunted at the very seat of Russia's legislature."

The center called on the prosecutor "to condemn and suspend such sales at the Russian Duma, and to take measures against such further dissemination of hate in its vicinity."