World Report

MOSCOW (JTA) -- The leader of the Jewish community here says he suspects arson in a fire that damaged a synagogue in a Russian town south of Moscow.

Leonid Reznikov told Reuters that the fire in Ryazan's only synagogue had started early Aug. 16 and gutted most of the ground floor. He said nobody was hurt in the blaze.

In light of this, the Russian Jewish Congress and the Moscow office of the Anti-Defamation League are urging Russian authorities to take action against the increasing number of arsons and other anti-Jewish incidents.

Since last June, there have been nine cases of arson attempts against synagogues and Jewish schools.

Torture victims sue Israel's Denmark envoy

COPENHAGEN (JTA) -- A Denmark-based group of torture victims filed a formal complaint against the new Israeli ambassador, for sanctioning torture.

Carmi Gillon has admitted authorizing torture of Palestinians while heading Israel's Shin Bet internal security service from 1994 to 1996. Gillon is protected from prosecution in Denmark by his diplomatic immunity.

Bank Austria begins,paying reparations

VIENNA (JTA) -- Bank Austria/Creditanstalt said it soon will begin distributing the bulk of money from its $40 million Holocaust fund.

The bank made its announcement after a deadline passed for further appeals against the fund. The bank also will make a $5 million payment to the Claims Conference, to be given to Austrian Holocaust survivors.

Scotland may not try Nazi suspect who's ill

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Scotland said it would seek a second opinion on whether a suspected Nazi war criminal can stand trial.

A first report on Anton Gecas, 85, accused of participating in the killing of Jews and other civilians in what is now Belarus, found that he is too ill to stand trial, London's Jewish Chronicle recently reported.

Gecas suffered two strokes earlier this year and has been hospitalized since May.

Survivors mark 60th anniversary of camp

PARIS (JTA) -- French Holocaust survivors gathered at the site of the former Drancy transit camp at a government-hosted gathering to mark the 60th anniversary of the camp's opening.

More than 70,000 Jews passed through Drancy on their way to Nazi extermination camps, particularly Auschwitz, during the Holocaust.

Czechs commemorate deportation in 1940s

PRAGUE (JTA) -- A series of commemorative events will be held in October to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the transportation of Czech Jews to concentration camps and ghettos during World War II.

The events are being organized by the Terezin Initiative, an international association comprised of former prisoners of the Czech ghetto, which also was known by its German name of Theresienstadt.