Speech #990081268

The Soviet Union claims that the issue of human rights is purely a domestic concern. and that the interest shown by the United States in Soviet human rights policies constitutes interference in its internal affairs. Whatever credence this argument might have had before 1975 was lost in that year. because the Soviet Union signed the Helsinki Final Act. which among other things. stipulates that the participating states will respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. including the freedom of thought. religion and belief. The Final Act also contains specific provisions for the reunification of families and favorable consideration of exit visas for persons deciding to marry a citizen from another participating state. The evidence of Soviet violations of the Helsinki accords is unmistakable. Over the past 10 years the number of Soviet Jews allowed to emigrate fell from over 51.000 to 896 annually. Similarly precipitous declines in the emigration rates of Soviet citizens of Armenian and German nationality were recorded. It is estimated that there are over 400.000 Soviet citizens who have expressed an interest in emigrating from the Soviet Union. Most of todays wouldbe emigrants are Jews seeking to emigrate to Israel. Many. perhaps most. of these wouldbe emigrants would like to be reunited with their families outside of the Soviet Union. but the Soviet Government refuses to abide by the commitment it made to "deal in a positive and humanitarian spirit with the applications of persons who wish to be reunited with members of their family * * 0." Instead. applicants for exit visas are routinely deprived of their jobs. and are often subjected to other forms of official harassment. including the confiscation of personal property. and imprisonment on false charges. At the same time. religious persecution of Jews inside the Soviet Union has increased. Numerous Jewish activists have been arrested. including 16 individuals whose only crime was the teaching of the Hebrew language.