Speech #970233254

Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank all my colleagues who recently signed my letter to the Honorable Andrei Gromyko and His Excellency Anatoly Dobrynin on behalf of the Ghinis family who are refuseniks for whose emigration I have worked for the past 2 years. Most particularly. I am grateful for the support of the distinguished chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. ZABLOCKI. whose signature added much weight to this effort. The current decline in emigration from the Soviet Union is tragic. But Soviet repression of individual freedom certainly is not new. For example. take the case of the Kazanevich family which is of great concern to me and my constituents. Mr. Kazanevich is a longtime refusenik. He and his family have been denied exit visas for 10 years on the excuse of "state secrets." During that time. the family has been constantly harassed by the KGB including threats. interrogations and smashing at the doors of his home at 5 a.m. Still. Mr. Kazanevich courageously continues his struggle to obtain an exit visa for himself and his family. and helps others as well. This familys situation. and that of the Ghinises. is just one more reminder of what we can expect from the Soviet Union in terms of respect for the treaties which it agrees to. I urge you to keep these violations firmly in mind as you consider your support for any new agreements with the Soviet Union.e