Leib Khnokh. Boris Penson. and Vulf Zalmanson are testimony to the effectiveness of public officials and private citizens declarations against Soviet repression of the rights of refuseniks as guaranteed by the Helsinki agreements. But for every Soviet Jew who is given an exit visa. hundreds remain behind against their will. Dissidents like Anatoly Shcharansky. Ida Nudel. and Yosip Mendelevich are still incarcerated. despite repeated requests to Soviet authorities that they be released. I would like to bring to your attention the cases of two refuseniks. Vladimir Slepak and Isaac Zlotver. who have been separated from their families by the prejudicial and arbitrary decision of the Soviet Government. Vladimir Slepak first applied for an exit visa in April 1970 and was refused permission to emigrate In After his application to emigrate. Vladimir was harassed and threatened and finally imprisoned. In June 1976. he became a Helsinki monitor. and his activism as a proponent of the rights of his people resulted in a sentence of 5 years in exile in the summer of 1978. Vladimir Slepak now lives in exile In a remote area of Siberia with his wife. His two sons and their families were granted visas and now live in Israel. As an outspoken critic of Soviet discrimination against refuseniks. Slepak has sacrificed his health and wellbeing to champion the cause of religious and human rights in his country.
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