Unfortunately. however. the situation in the Soviet Union has deteriorated in the past several years to such an extent that even the most pessimistic among us are surprised. It was anticipated that with the advent of new leadership in Moscow. perhaps new discussions would lead to the correct implementation of the many international treaties. such as the Helsinki Final Act. to which the Soviet Union is signatory. Human rights abuses continue to mount in the U.S.S.R.. and Soviet Jewish emigration and arrests are so dismal that this outcry from the House of Representatives is indeed sorely needed. Last month. only 38 individuals received their emigration vizovs for Israel. bringing this years total emigration to only 499 men. women. and children. This parallels last years emigration figure of under 900. and is in stark contrast to the over 51.000 people who were allowed to leave in 1979. The Fascell human rights amendment calls for the release from imprisonment of Anatoly Shcharansky. Iosef Begun and all others suffering in Soviet prisons and labor camps. who have not committed any crime other than love for their religious heritage. Recently. arrests have mounted. and the charges with which these individuals are now being accused of include patently false drug possession allegations. The amendment further goes on to urge the granting of exit visas to these men and women. as well as the thousands of others who know they are but one short step away from being arrested on false grounds themselves. Just last week we heard of the arrests of Isay Goldshtein. a longterm refusenik from Tbilisi. and Leonid Volvovsky of Gorky. as well as the detention of Yevgeny Kolfman of Dniepropetrovsk. These three men are guilty of nothing more than of studying Hebrew and of sharing their Jewish heritage with their families and friends.
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emigration visas