Speech #960209025

Attached for my colleagues is a recent report from Moscow on the purge of Soviet cities prior to the Olympics: [From the Los Angeles Times. Mar. 1. 1980] RussIA MAY BAR AcTIvIsTs FROM OLYMPIC CITIES (By Dan Fisher) Moscow.--Soviet authorities have taken what may be a first step toward purging all of the countrys Olympic cities of Jewish activists during this summers Games. At least one district branch of the Office of Visas and Registrations has posted an announcement saying that "persons invited from abroad" are forbidden to stay in Moscow. its suburbs. Minsk. Leningrad. Kiev. and Tallin from June 19 to Sept. 3. eyewitnesses reported. The Games are scheduled to run from July 19 to Aug. 3. with events in all five of the cities. The wording of the notice. dated Feb. 27. appears to apply both to foreigners who might be invited to visit by Soviet citizens and to Soviets who have received invitations to emigrate from relatives abroad. (Soviet Jews must have such invitations before being allowed to emigrate.) About 300.000 Soviet Jews have received emigration invitations. Israeli authorities say. This is by far the largest group that would appear affected by the order. Jewish sources here have told The Times that they are convinced the authorities intend to use the vaguely phrased order to purge the five cities--all of which are scheduled for some Olympic events--of Jewish activists who might otherwise use the opportunity to contact a flood of foreign tourists expected here for the Games. "The main idea is to look at activists. Jewish dissidents. refusedniks (Jews who have been refused permission to emigrate). and others who want to have contact with foreigners--and to interrupt those contacts." one Jewish source said. An official of the central Moscow Office of Visas and Registrations. contacted by telephone. angrily denied that such a notice has been posted and hung up on his questioner. However. several people said they have seen the notice on the door of the Gagarinsky district visa office in Moscow on Thursday and Friday. The carefully handlettered notice. headlined "announcement" in red and followed by a blue text. read: "From 19 June through 3 September. 1980. persons invited from abroad are forbidden to stay in Moscow. the Moscow oblast (region). Minsk.