Mr. Speaker. I would like to bring to your attention the demoralizing dilemma which faces the Jews in the Soviet Union seeking asylum. Not only are they being harassed in the form of denial of employment and any type of political freedom. but they are also victims of a hypocritical denial of any basic human rights under the Soviet pretenses of perfect lawfulness. The Helsinki Final Act of 1975 has been dodged and evaded by the Soviet Union. for it was supposedly intended as an aid in increasing the Soviet Jewish emigration movement. One prime example of this seemingly insurmountable plight can be seen through the eyes of Abba Taratuta. who was once a respected mathematician. but has now been demoted to elevator maintenance. He and his wife Ida. a schoolteacher. and their artistically talented son Misha have been denied asylum repeatedly since 1973 under the legally nebulous grounds of "state security." For this troubled family a rapidly diminishing ray of hope remains.
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emigration seeking asylum