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Seven Jews in Soviet Latvia Charged with Importing Coats from U.S.

November 20, 1963
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Seven persons, all with Jewish names, have been listed by Sovietskaya Latvia, as members of an import ring in the latest “economic crimes” charges against Jews, it was reported here today from Moscow.

The Latvian Soviet newspaper asserted that the seven had imported 160 nylon coats from the United States and sold them illegally in Riga for $77,000. The newspaper declared that “they will get what they deserve.” The story did not indicate whether those accused had been tried. Their names were listed as Shanda Shapir, Berk Gelfand, Yakov Brusilovsky, Elizabeta Katzman, Sophia Hatskeyish, Frendi Mirtskaya and Blum Zimmerman.

The newspaper said that a “Mexican capitalist” named Brossi who had relatives in the Ukraine had often sent parcels to the seven Jews and that they had obtained an import license to receive personal gifts from abroad after arranging with Brossi to send the coats.

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