Speech #980071888

Mr. Speaker. today I Join with many of my colleagues in the national congressional fast and prayer vigil for Soviet Jewry. Todays vigil. which coincides with the fifth anniversary of the trial of Anatoly Shcharansky. is designed to let the Soviet authorities know that we will not be silent as long as they continue to violate international agreements by refusing to permit the thousands of Soviet Jews the right to emigrate. The situation for Soviet Jewry is becoming increasingly grave. Emigration has come to a virtual standstill as official Soviet antisemitic campaigns have increased in scope and intensity. The Soviet authorities are employing harsher measures than ever before to deny the Jews of the Soviet Union the right to emigrate and the right to openly maintain their Jewish identity and culture without fear of punishment. The rate of Jewish emigration is at an alltime low. In 1982. only 2.692 Jews emigrated. a 95percent decline from 1979. when 51.329 Jews emigrated. Even more ominously. only 639 Jews have been permitted to leave the Soviet Union during the first 6 months of this year. The 102 Jews permitted to emigrate during the entire month of June 1983 were significantly fewer than the average number of Jews who left per day in 1979. the peak year for emigration. If the present trend continues. fewer than 1.300 Jews will be permitted to emigrate this yeara decline of more than 50 percent over the rate of emigration in 1982. As I mentioned. today marks the fifth anniversary of the trial and conviction on trumpedup espionage charges of Anatoly Shcharansky. the man who for so many of us has come to symbolize the Soviet emigration movement. Despite the ceaseless efforts of his wife Avital and thousands of concerned people around the world. Anatoly Shcharansky remains in Chistopol prison. where his health continues to deteriorate as a result of the harsh treatment he has received. Shcharansky endured a lengthy hunger strike last year to protest his persecution and treatment. Shcharanskys crime is his desire to live as a Jew in Israel with his wife. He has said many times that he would gladly trade his activists life if only he were permitted to emigrate and be reunited with Avital. from whom he was forcibly separated the day after their 1974 wedding. De-