Zakhar Zunshine. has disappeared after the Soviets rejected his appeal. We remain uncertain about the condition of Andrei Sakharov. while his wife. Elena Bonner. has been denied permission to emigrate for medical treatment. These are just some of the examples of the stepped up program of intimidation and harrassment of Jews in the Soviet Union. Attempts to escape this desparate lifestyle are being frustrated by a further tightening of emigration procedures. In 1979. 51.320 applications by Jewish people for exist visas were approved by Soviet authorities. However. over the past 4 years. the Soviets have increasingly clamped down on Jewish emigration. This year to date. with an estimated 300.000 applications pending. only 652 Jewish people have been granted permission to leave Russia. If the rate of Jewish emigration continues at this level. it will be the lowest since emigration began 20 years ago. I am hopeful that President Reagans meeting with Mr. Gromyko may bring about a policy change for the Soviet Jewish people. and will continue to voice my objections about the injustices that they experience.*
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visas