United StatesSoviet relations and our hopes for world peace. The severity of the sentencestwo of capital punishmentpassed on nine Soviet Jews and two others clearly was intended to intimidate Russian Jews and test world opinion. While the nine were accused of attempting to hijack a Russian aircraft. there is no evidence to suggest they committed a crime greater than requesting visas for emigration to Israel. The sentences handed down were a warning to the estimated 100.000 Soviet Jews who now have applications to emigrate pending before Soviet authorities. Further. there are reports of another trial to begin soon in which an estimated 20 Soviet Jews will stand accused of antiSoviet activity. Many of them reportedly have applied for emigration or signed petitions protesting Soviet policy on emigration. Others have engaged in the teaching of Hebrew and were found with underground "samizdat" manuscripts in their possession. Lest the world dismiss these actions as the limited and alltoofamiliar persecution of the Jewish people. let it not forget the recent. tragic abduction of a Lithuanian sailor from a U.S.
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emigrate emigration visas