He is not permitted to communicate with his wife. who was forced to leave the Soviet Union 7 years ago. just 1 day after their marriage. He is only permitted to write to his mother. who remarked 19 months ago. after she was finally allowed to see her son for the first time in a year. that he looked "like a prisoner from Auschwitz." Since that time. his health has continued to deteriorate as this injustice has continued. Shcharanskys troubles began 8 years ago. when he formally applied to emigrate to Israel. He was repeatedly denied a visa. on the ground that his work caused him to possess classified information. even though it was well known that his work as a computer programer at the Moscow Research Institute for Oil and Gas did not involve classified information. Over the next 4 years. he was dismissed from the institute. his wife was forced to emigrate alone to Israel. and he was subjected to repeated arrests and detainment and constant surveillance. This pressure from the KGB was caused by Shcharanskys involvement in protesting emigration conditions. The pressure was increased after Shcharansky became a member of the Helsinki Watchdog Committee in 1976. Shcharansky was singled out for threats and punishment largely because he served as the connection between the Jewish and nonJewish groups. and provided information and sustenance to groups such as the Baptists and the SeventhDay Adventists.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visa