Speech #970082590

Mr. Speaker. as a participant in the Congressional Vigil for Soviet Jewry. I rise to speak out in protest against Soviet persecution of Jews who seek permission to emigrate to Israel. My adopted "Prisoner of Conscience" is Grigory Geishis. who. at age 20. is now serving a 2year sentence in a labor camp for draft evasion. Grigorys situation is not unique. Many other young men who were refuseniks from childhood. have recently been called up for military service as the Soviets increasingly use this tactic to thwart Jewish emigration. I am committed to work for the release of Grigory Geishis and other young men like him from Soviet prison camps. I am committed to work for the release of the Geishis family. and other families who are being denied permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union. I will continue the struggle until all are free. Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak out in protest against Soviet persecution of Jews who seek permission to emigrate to Israel. I consider it both an honor and a moral obligation to join in this Congressional Vigil for Soviet Jewry by adding my voice to the chorus of others. both in this House of Representatives. and throughout the Nation. who have expressed outrage at the Soviet repression of these "Prisoners of Conscience." I am addressing my remarks today to the plight of my own adopted refusenik. Grigory Geishis. a young man who. at age 20. is now serving a 2year sentence in a labor camp for draft evasion. Grigory. his parents and grandfather. applied for permission to emigrate to Israel on December 4. 1978. At that time he was a second year student at the Electrotechnical Institute for Communications in Leningrad. As a result of this request. he was denounced as a traitor and expelled from school. On May 25. 1979. his family was denied permission to emigrate because of the secrecy of his mothers former place of work. When his grandfather was granted permission to leave in July 5. 1979. he declined to do so without his son and grandson. Grigory was denied permission to leave with his grandfather on "humanitarian grounds." even though he had no secrecy classification. When Grigory received a notice to appear before the military draft board in May 1980. he refused to enlist on the following grounds: He was not eligible. since he had been branded a traitor. in the military he would acquire. against his wishes. a secrecy classification which would prevent him from emigrating. and he could not be expected to fulfill his military obligations since he had been denied his civil rights to study and to leave the U.S.S.R. On August 8. 1980. he was sentenced to 2 years in a labor camp for draft evasion. Grigorys situation is not unique.