Mark and his familywife. Olga and son. Alexanderfirst applied for an exit visa in May 1979. At the end of September 1979. Mark and his family received permission to emigrate to Israel. they sold all their belongings and paid for their visas. However. 1 week before collecting the passes. Mark was accused of "stealing state property" at his former place of work. a construction site. After an 8month detention. he was brought to trial and ac. cused of "abusing his position." Mark was sentenced to 1 year of hard labor. but was released after 3 months. On March 23. 1981. he again applied to emigrate at OVIR headquarters in Moscow. and received a final refusal. On April 30. 1984. Mark was again arrested. this time for "violation of passport laws" since he had refused to reclaim the passport submitted for his original emigration application. His refusal to reclaim the document appeared to be a symbolic renunciation of Soviet citizenship. made to stress his desire to leave. The story of this second imprisonment. ends happilyand thus is quite unusual.
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