A Washington federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Russian government to pay $50,000 for each day officials refuse to comply with a court order calling for the return of Jewish religious texts seized in the early 20th century.
U.S. District Chief Judge Royce Lamberth issued Wednesday’s opinion (PDF) over objections from the U.S. Department of Justice, which argued that the court didn’t have the authority to enter sanctions and warned that it could threaten U.S. foreign policy interests. Lamberth wrote that the court could issue contempt sanctions that would not attach to Russian property on Russian soil.
