Messrs. Mendelevich. Murzhenko. and Federov were convicted by the Soviel authorities during the infamous "Leningrad trials" for having pursued their desire to emigrate. Not having committed any real crime against the Soviet Union these brave dissidents have been serving severe sentences in Soviet labor camps This being the 10th anniversary of the Leningrad trials is a time when the world should once again join hands to urge the immediate release of these remaining victims of the outmoded and cruel system of Soviet justice. Like so many other prisoners of conscience. their condition is desperate. Let me remind my colleagues that since 1979. there has been a 30- to 35percent drop in emigration. This drop has been attributed to the decrease of invitations from close kin residing abroad. However. is this the real reason for the continued drop in emigration? I do not believe so. In Kiev. in the last week of January 1980. only 29 permissions to emigrate were granted by the Soviet authorities. while 400 were refused. This seems to indicate that the authorities are increasing their refusals compared to only a short while ago. As my colleagues are aware. 11 administrations since 1869. when President Ulysses S.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration