Mr. Speaker. the plight of Soviet Jewry has reached frightening dimensions. For the first time in a decade. emigration levels for Soviet Jews seeking to leave the Soviet Union for countries that respect the fundamental liberties of speech. religion. political beliefs. and press have reached an alltime low. Last year. only 1.315 Soviet Jews were granted the freedom to leave Soviet borders behind them and seek a free life elsewhere. This year. only 652 Soviet Jews were permitted to emigrate as of August 1984. This drastic and continuing reduction compared to the emigration peak of 51.320 in 1979 is of grave concern to all those who value the importance of human rights. However. mere statistics cannot convey the hurt and the pain experienced by the individual Soviet Jews that have been subjected to years of harassment and deprivation. The continued persecution of Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner has focused international attention on this systematic attack on a particular race by the Soviet Government.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration