Vladimir Putin met Tatiana Sapunova, suffered from explosion of anti-semitic sign

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin met in his Kremlin office Tatiana Sapunova who was wounded a few months ago when trying to tear down an anti-Semitic sign on the Kievskoye highway.

In the beginning the president told Sapunova he had signed a decree on awarding her with the Courage order.

Her action was "not just courageous, but ethical, which is very important for the country", he said.

"Extremist outings can be seen not only in Russia, but also in other countries, including developed ones," the president said, stressing that "extremist developments in any country undermines the grounds of the state's existence, but for Russia it is absolutely fatal, as our country is multinational and multiconfessional".

"If we let this chauvinistic bacillus, of either national or religious intolerance, develop we will ruin the country," the president pointed out.

"People who encourage suchlike activities, plan, carry out or take part in them, either do it consciously aiming to destroy the country or do not realize what they are doing because of their limited intellectual abilities", he believes.

"Actions like yours are not just courageous, they show that, thanks to God, there are people in Russia who understand the essence of the current events and are ready to fight with them, and they are more numerous than people of the other category. That is why, honestly, it is very important," Putin said.

He expressed his hope that despite the problems help of Russian and foreign doctors would recover Tatiana's health.

Sapunova thanked the president for the award, pointing out that it pleased not only her, but also the many people who had helped her.

"Most of people would act as I did. They are a majority. I have understood that because so many people helped me, doctors and just strangers, who brought flowers and words of gratitude to me," she said.

The incident took place on May 27th. Moscow resident Tatiana Sapunova saw an anti-Semitic sign on the 32rd km of the Kievskoye highway. When she tried to tear it down, a bomb went off.

The woman severely burned her face, arms and legs, and nearly lost sight.

The prosecutor's office of the Moscow region town of Vidnoye initiated a criminal case under clause 2 of Article 111 of the Russian criminal code (intended grave health injury on motives of national, racial or religious hatred). Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov kept the case under his special control.

Sapunova underwent a treatment in Moscow and afterwards was invited for treatment in Israel.

She was admitted to the Tel Ashomer hospital in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.