I appreciate the time that he reserved this time so that we might participate. I am glad to participate today on the occasion of the Third Congressional Fast and Prayer Vigil for Soviet Jewry. I am participating on behalf of Leonid Umansky. a 44yearold electrical engineer from Riga. whose permission to emigrate in 1982 was later denied for unknown reasons. On December 31. 1983. Leonid Umansky demonstrated with fellow refusenik Zakhar Zunshein in Moscow. They protested the authorities continual rejection of their requests for exit visas. and renounced their Soviet citizenship. Zunshein was arrested and sentenced to 15 days imprisonment. In January 1984. Umansky went with Zinshein to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in Moscow. Again. they renounced their Soviet citizenship and demanded exit visas. They also demonstrated on behalf of several of their friends who had lost their Jobs after applying for emigration. They stated: Even if we dont succeed this time. we tried before and we shall certainly try again. In February 1984.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visas