John Vashchenko was beaten. and returned to his Siberian home. The seven Pentecostals. after consultation with their families in Siberia. decided to remain in the Embassy out of fear for their lives. All seven remained there until January 1982. when Lidiya Vashchenko had to be hospitalized because of a hunger strike she endured to dramatize their request to emigrate. She has now returned to Siberia in accordance with the technical requirements of Soviet law to apply for the appropriate exit visas for herself and the Vashchenko and Chymkhalov families. Unfortunately. the Soviet Union has not carried out their end of the bargain. she continues to wait for word from Soviet emigration officials. I recently received an "open letter to the West" from Liubov Vashchenko on the occasion of their 4th year in the U.S. Embassy. In it. she thanks the Congress for the recent passage of House Concurrent Resolution 100 and urges us to continue to make it known to the Soviet Union that the refusal of the Soviet Government to allow the Vashchenko and Chymkhalov families to emigrate will have a detrimental effect on United StatesSoviet relations. The letter follows: Moscow. U.S.S.R..
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visas