Ukraine mayor accused of anti-Semitism

The incident was a worrying sign of persistent anti-Semitism in a country that lost hundreds of thousands of Jews in the Holocaust.

Prosecutors have charged Serhiy Ratushnyak, the mayor of the western city of Uzhhorod, with hooliganism, abuse of office and xenophobia, said Viktoriya Popovych, a spokeswoman for the regional prosecutor's office. The investigation was opened after Ratushnyak assailed former parliament speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk and attacked one of his campaign workers last month.

Popovych would not provide further details.

Yatsenyuk accuses Ratushnyak of attacking and injuring a young woman who campaigned for him in Uzhhorod on Aug. 6. The mayor threw himself at the woman, grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the ground, causing bruises and a concussion, according to Yatsenyuk's office.

Later, Ratushnyak called Yatsenyuk "an impudent little Jew".