President. but I want especially to call attention to two of them. Vladimir Slepak and his wife. Maria Slepak. have sought unsuccessfully to emigrate for 14 years. since April 1970. He has not been able to hold a job since 1972. Harassed. arrested. and imprisoned briefly from time to time. be became a vital link between the refusenik community of wouldbe emigrants and the outside world. In June 1976. he became an early member of the Helsinki Watch Group formed to monitor adherence to the human rights provisions of the Helsinki Final Act. Formally charged with "malicious hooliganism" in 1978. he was sentenced to 5 years exile. His children are now gone from the Soviet Union. his older son having been permitted to leave in 1977 and his younger son in 1979. Since serving out his term. Vladimir and Maria Slepak have once again been refused permission to emigrate. Vladimir Slepak is said by the Soviet 3overnment to possess vital "secrets" wcquired at his job some 15 years ago. Yosif Begun first applied to emigrate 13 years ago. in April 1971. Shortly thereafter. he lost his job. Since then. he has been tried three lmes. most recently in October 1983.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigrants