Speech #930353615

Mr. President. just in the past few days I have received shocking news that the Soviet Government has imposed the death sentence on a Soviet Jew who has been seeking to emigrate to Israel. The unfortunate victim of this inhuman action is Mikhail Leviev. 56 years old. a resident of Moscow. Leviev. his wife. and his wifes parents applied to emigrate to Israel in 1971. At that time. he resigned his position as a manager of a department store in Moscow. In early 1972. the family received exit visas. Shortly before their scheduled departure. Leviev was arrested. and held for "investigation" until 1974. In the meanwhile. his inlaws did emigrate to Israel. but his wife remains in Moscow. Mikhail Leviev was tried this month by the city court of Moscow. and convicted of swindling and stealing state property. On December 8. he was sentenced to death for these economic crimes. This is the first sentence of death for economic crimes in over a decade. although these economic crimes have been frequently used to harass people seeking to emigrate from the Soviet Union. I am shocked and deeply disturbed by the Leviev case. Just today the Congress of the United States is completing action on the Trade Act of 1974. which will permit the extension of economic credits. and mostfavorednation status to the U.S.S.R. It is our understanding in the Congress that coincident with this action the Soviet Government will ease its policy on emigration from the U.S.S.R.. with particular emphasis on expediting exit visas. and ending various harassments of those who seek to emigrate. It was my hope that this agreement would lead to a strengthening of d6tente. and to significant progress on humanitarian concerns in the U.S.S.R. Unfortunately. I have received persistent reports. over the 2 months since the agreement on the Jackson amendment was revealed. that Soviet harassment of Jews and others seeking to emigrate has increased rather than lessened The horrendous example of the sentence of death against an innocent man. seeking to emigrate to Israel. is a tragic escalation of these trends. which can serve no purpose other than to set back the cause of d6tente. I. and all the other Members of the House and Senate. who cosponsored the Jackson amendment. have made clear that we will be carefully watching the activities of the Soviet Government in the next 18 months. pending the decision on extending MFN and trade credits. I will say at this time that the imposition of this death sentence is a serious setback to my support for the trade benefits which the Congress has authorized. carrying out of the sentence would be absolutely unconscionable and in direct contravention of the agreements as I understand them. I speak out on this matter not only because I have been deeply concerned about emigration from the Soviet Union. and full implementation of the Universial Convention on Human Rights. but also because the imposition of a death sentence for such a minor crime Is totally inhuman. no matter what country would have done it. I intervened on humanitarian grounds earlier this year when the Chilean- Government sentenced to death a number of military officers for alleged treason in connection with the 1973 coup. and also with the Philippine Government in a similar case. Thus. for purely humanitarian reasons.