Speech #930026974

The inhuman suffering that these brave people have endured is sadly familiar. Several months ago. and then only after a yearlong campaign during which Mark. now 25. was twice arrested and CXIX----642Part 8 imprisoned. he and his young wife were permitted to buy their freedom from the Soviet Government. They paid more than 10.000 rubles for two exit visas and. along with Eleanoras grandfather. they left Kiev to go to Israel. Unhappily. Eleanoras parents. and her sisterthe Poltinnikov family from Novosibirsk. Siberiawere not so fortunate. They have seen each of seven requests for an exit visa turned down cold by the Russian authorities. Dr. Isaac Poltinnikov. Marks fatherinlaw. is an outstanding ophthalmologist who retired 2 years ago. Since applying to emigrate from the Soviet Union last summer he has had his only income. his retirement pension. terminated. He and his family have suffered ceaseless ordeals and abuses including the imprisonment of his wife and daughterEleanoras sisteron charges of having petitioned the Soviet authorities for an exit visa. Last week the Poltinnikovs were again denied permission to emigrate and. in desperation. they began a hunger strike at the central telephone office in Novosibirsk. Eleanora and Mark also resorted to a hunger strikeshe in London. he in Washingtonwhen Eleanora was told by the Russian authorities this week that: Your parents will never be allowed to emigrate. Yesterday the Poltinnikov family was refused medical attention at the central telephone office in Novosibirsk. After 6 days of starvation Eleanoras mother. who is a diabetic. suffered a medical crisis that required her to terminate her protest. The family. as far as ever from having the right to emigrate. is recuperating in the apartment of friends in Novosibirsk. The Government of the Soviet Union has simply and clearly terrorized the Poltinnikov family. What sense is there in the cruel torture of these innocent human beings? What legitimate policy of the Soviet Government is served by keeping them. against their will. from emigrating to freedom? Mr. President. it seems clear that the Soviet Government is terrorizing the Poltinnkov family in order to discourage others who wish to emigrate from applying for exit permits. Soviet citizens who apply for permission to emigrate are routinely fired from their jobs or relieved of their pensionslike Dr. Isaac Poltinnikov they are left destitute. Soviet authorities hope to deter through fear and intimidation. through harassment. through imprisonment in corrective labor camps. in jails. and in institutions for the mentally ill. Last weeks managed news of a significant shift in Soviet emigration policy was a fraudand a transparent one at that. There is more truth in Mark Yampolsky and his hunger strike on 16th Street than in all the articles. all the broadcasts. all the Tass releases and diplomatic assurances that last week sought to extenuate. explain. and obscure. The Soviet Government has penned in the Poltinnikov family in Novosibirsk and it is doing the same thing to thousands of other men. women. and children all over the Soviet Union. Before last Novembers Presidential elections. as many Senators will recall. the Soviets permitted a number of famflies to emigrate without payment of the education ransom. Immediately after the election the ransom was reimposed. This followed the pattern that had been set before last years Moscow summit when. again. a "tactical liberalization" of Soviet emigration policy was followed by a relapse into the old pattern of harassment and denial. I must say that I am amazed that the Soviet authorities thought. as apparently they did. that last weeks selective release of a few families in Moscow at bargain basement prices would fool the American people. The fact Is that for every Soviet citizen who was unable financially to pay the notorious education ransom. there wereand arehundreds who cannot buy a visa at any price. The fact that some visas are being sold at discount prices is little comfort to the thousands who are not being permitted to buy. Only a policy of granting every legitimate applicant a visa within a fixed and reasonable period of time can alter that. Mr. President. when one compares last weeks hints from Moscow with this weeks reality it becomes clear that there can be no effective substitute for the passage of my amendmentcosponsored by 76 Senators--to deny mostfavorednation treatment. credits. credit guarantees. and investment guarantees to States that deny their citizens the right or opportunity to emigrate. This amendment gives the Soviets an incentive to permit free emigrationand it provides a sanction if they do not. either now or at any time in the future. By requiring a semiannual report of compliance. we in Congress can be assured that any positive change in Soviet emigration policy could not be reversed without the loss of MFN and the other trade and credit benefits. Mr. President.