Speech #960171242

Mr. Speaker. it is essential that we join in raising our voices today on Human Rights Day. for this day affords us the opportunity to reflect on the basic rights we as Americans enjoyfreedom of speech. religion. travel. emigration. the right to a fair trial. While we often take our freedom for granted. recent events in Iran remind us of how vulnerable liberty is. We cannot forget the Americans who are held hostage. nor the millions of individuals around the world who are denied these rights which are so essential to human dignity. In 1975. 35 nations of the world joined as signators of the Helsinki Final Act. thereby agreeing to "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. including freedom of thought. conscience. religion or belief without distinction as to race. sex. language or religion." The accord also stated: Every one has the right to leave any country. including his own and to return to his country. This accord which set an international precedent. however. remains an allusion. blatantly disregarded by the Khomeini regime. as well as by the Soviet Unionone of the signators of the act. The Soviet Union continues to persecute their Jewish citizens and other minorities. denying them the right to emigrate. the freedom to pursue their religious faith. and the opportunity to apply their professional training. We who have the liberty to speak out must persist in letting Iran. the Soviet Union. and all other nations that do not recognize the sanctity of individual freedom. know that we cannot tolerate their abuses of human rights. I would therefore like to use this occasion to speak out on behalf of my prisoner of conscience. Amner Zavurov. Zavurov is a victim of the same "Catch 22" which entraps so many other Soviet Jews. Unable to tolerate constant antiSemitic acts against him and his family. he applied to emigrate to Israel. As a result of his visa application he had to relinquish his internal passport. Upon being denied a visa. he refused to take back his passport because by doing so would have voided his visa application. Without a passport he could not get a job and was subject to arrest. He was tried without a defense attorney. a right guaranteed by Soviet law. and charged with parasitism. malicious hooliganism. and violations of passport regulations.