Speaker. as a member of the 1983 Congressional Call to Conscience Vigil for Soviet Jewry. I implore my colleagues to continue in their efforts to free Vladimir Dragunsky and the many thousands of Soviet Jews like him who are denied the right to leave the Soviet Union. Recent statistics indicate that Jewish immigration has declined drastically: from more than 50.000 in 1979. to less than 3.000 in 1982 and less than 500 in the first 5 months of 1983. They are being denied this basic human right in violation of solemn international agreements entered into by the Government of the U.S.S.R. Yet. despite persecution. they continue to seek the religious freedom they are denied. Vladimir. like many others in the U.S.S.R.. is known as a "refusenik": an international word describing a Soviet Jew who. having been consistently refused permission to immigrate to Israel. is harassed by the KGB (Soviet Secret Police). usually dismissed from his or her place of work. and lives in fear of arrest and trumpedup charges which could result in imprisonment. Vladimir. 52. his wife Evgenia. 43. and their son Vladimir. 19. were denied immigration visas in 1978 on the grounds that Evgenias brother is engaged in classified work. Her brother lives in Sverdlovsk. which is a long way from the Dragunskys home in Leningrad. Evgenia and Vladimir have appealed several times to the authorities in Sverdlovsk. but have never received any answer.
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