Speech #970196882

Siberia. determined they could not freely practice their religion in the Soviet Union. The Soviets had persistently violated their freedoms of thought. conscience. and religion guaranteed in the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Acccordingly. they began emigration procedures in order to come to the United States. They explicitly followed the letter of Soviet law in filing applications. obtaining invitations from U.S. sponsors. and paying processing fees. But the Soviets have repeatedly denied them exit visas. Instead. they have subjected family members to constant persecution. harassment. deprivation. and confinement in pyschiatric hospitals. labor camps. and state "reeducation" schools. Despite this treatment. the Vashchenkos and Chymkhalovs have steadfastly maintained their commitment to emigrating to a free land. Sixteen years after they begon their emigration efforts. in June 1978. eight members of the two families traveled over 2.000 miles to the American Embassy in Moscow at the invitation of Embassy officials. They went seeking emigration advice. not asylum. But a young boy in their party was dragged away and beaten by Soviet guards before he could enter the Embassy. The remaining seven stayed in the Embassy waiting for news of the boy. Two weeks later. family members in Chernogorsk phoned them and reported that the boy had been badly beaten and counseled the seven to remain in the Embassy for their own safety. As word of their plight was publicized. they became known to the world as the "Siberian Seven" and Western nations rallied to their cause. Human rights organizations began working throughout the United States and Western Europe to promote their emigration. In March 1982. Congress approved a resolution calling on the Soviet Union to allow them to emigrate. The Department of State reports that senior executive branch officials have raised the issue with top Soviet officials. The Department also reports that Ambassador Max Kampelman raised this matter repeatedly in plenary sessions of the Madrid Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Despite these efforts to precipitate the granting of exit visas. the Soviets refuse to allow the Vashchenkos and Chmykhalovs to leave. The Soviets have insisted that in order to emigrate. they must return to their hometown and file yet another series of applications. To protest Soviet refusal to allow them to emigrate. Lidia and Augustina Vashchenko went on a hunger strike in late December 1981. Lidia grew so weak that she was removed to Moscows Botkin Hospital.