Speaker. the story of Vladimir Leonidovich Tsukerman is yet another classic case of flagrant violation of human and civil rights in the Soviet Union. Arrested in Kishinev at the end of May this year and now awaiting trial. Tsukermans only crime was his attempt to exercise his legal right to emigrate to Israel where his wife and son have been living since 1978. The Soviet authorities refusal to grant Tsukerman a visa to emigrate was based on the shallow excuse that he had served in the Soviet Navy. from which he was in fact discharged in 1975. well before he applied to emigrate. After a long period of being deprived of a job and being subjected to constant harassment. including imprisonment. Tsukerman was finally notified that. due to removal of the security consideration applied to his case. he would be granted an emigration visa in April of this year. At the last minute. however. it became apparent that the Soviet authorities were playing a cruel joke on Tsukerman. When he went to pick up the permit. he was told that his application was again rejected. Several days later. Tsukerman staged a peaceful protest demonstration in Kishinev for which he was arrested on the charge of "disturbing public order." a charge which. if he is convicted. means a minimum of 3 years in labor camps and possible later exile. Vladimir Tsukermans tragedy. compounded by the fact that he was forced to divorce his wife so that she and their son could emigrate to Israel. underscores the problem of human rights violations in the Soviet Union. This week President Reagan indicated profound resolve to reduce United StatesSoviet tensions by commencing serious arms control talks. An appropriate response or the Soviet Union would be to evidence the seriousness of the commitments to international treaties such as the Helsinki accords. by making a humanitarian gesture and allowing Vladimir Tsukerman and other similarly situated Soviet Jews to emigrate.*
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emigrate emigration visa