President. I am shocked and outraged by the widespread repressive measures which the Soviet officials took against Soviet Jews to prepare their "welcome" for President Nixon. Over 50 Soviet Jews who been seeking permission to emigrate were arrested. Others were called up for military duty. in order to take them away to a "safe" place during the visit of the President. Many Jews were forced into hiding to avoid being arrested or shipped off to the military. Soviet authorities feared that the presence of these Jews in public might call attention in the West to the unsolved problem of Soviet emigration practices about which the U.S. Congress and the American people have voiced deep concern. The Soviet officials preferred to keep these Jews in prison or in the military reserves during the Presidents visit so as not to remind the world that Soviet citizens were not free to exercise the internationally recognized human right to emigrate. Some of the Jews arrested were Moscow scientists who have been waiting for years for permission to emigrate and who have been dismissed from their Jobs for applying to leave. They. together with prominent scientists from various other countries. planned an International scientific seminar. July 15. n Moscow. in order to provide the long outofwork Moscow Jewish scientists the opportunity for professional exchange with their peers.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration