I would like to draw attention to the plight of Valery Senderov. a Soviet Jewish prisoner of conscience who has been "adopted" by my wife. Dolores. as part of an effort by the Congressional Spouses Committee of 21. Valery is a mathematician who was arrested on June 17. 1982. on charges of "antiSoviet agitation and propaganda." He has been sentenced to 7 years in a labor camp and 5 years of internal exilemerely for expressing his beliefs and trying to emigrate to Israel. Valery and his wife. Elena. have been struggling valiantly to obtain visas so that they might be reunited with their family in Israel. By releasing Valery from prison and granting the Senderovs permission to emigrate. the Soviet Union would not only demonstrate its respect for the principles of the Helsinki accords. but would also pave the way for improved relations between the United States and the U.S.S.R. I urge President Reagan and Chairman Gorbachev to include human rights. and particularly the welfare of Soviet Jews. as a major agenda item at their upcoming summit meeting.
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emigrate visas