President. Dr. Brailovskys case is not very different from the many thousands of cases of Soviet Jews who desire to immigrate to Israel. But during the past 9 years that he and his family have waited for exit visas. Dr. Brailovsky has not remained silent. Let me share with my colleagues some of the specifics of this case. In October 1972. Viktor Brailovsky. along with his wife Irina and their two children. first applied to immigrate to Israel. As a result. both Viktor and Irina were fired from their prestigious scientific jobs. Their phone was disconnected and their mail service curtailed. Again and again since 1972. the Brailovsky family has been refused permission to immigrate on the grounds that Viktor possessed secret scientific information. In 1976. after 4 long years of waiting. Viktor was given a verbal clearance to emigratebut his wife. Irina. an applied mathematician. could not leave because allegedly she possessed state secrets. After a few agonizing months. Viktor decided to emigrate with one of his children and leave his wife and other child behind. In an act of typical capriciousness. the Soviet authorities then denied his visa on the grounds that the separation of his family would violate the Helsinki Final Act. These continued denials of Viktors most basic human rights left him undaunted. He became one of the founders of the samizdat (underground) journal.
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