The Governors action was taken in recognition of the fact that today marks the halfway point in the harsh 13year prison sentence inflicted upon Anatoly Shcharansky. an innocent victim of the Soviet Unions antiSemitic persecution. For 6Y2 years this courageous prisoner of conscience had endured constant harassment. For the past 18 months. the KGB. the Soviet secret police. has attempted to extract a confession from Shcharansky that the Jewish emigration movement does not exist. But. despite suffering physical deterioration. Anatoly Shcharansky persist in declaring the truth: Thousands of Soviet Jews are seeking the freedom to practice their religion in the country of their choice.
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emigration