Apparently. the recent summit meeting between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. helped to bring about the release of several wellknown longterm refuseniks and former Prisoners of Conscience. including Dr. Mark Nashpitz. a Moscow dentist with whom I had been corresponding for almost 15 years. and Ilya Essas. a selftaught Hebrew and religious teacher who became the focal point in Moscow for observant Jews. these two men were in Washington recently. where many Members of Congress had the opportunity to meet with them. Yet. from a high point of over 51.000 in 1979. we saw emigration plummet in the early 1980s. And in 1985. only 1.140 Jewish men. women. and children were allowed to participate in the reunification process as provided for by the Helsinki Final Act. During the past year. we have also seen other innocent people arrested. harassed. and interrogated for no other reason than they had expressed their desire to emigrate to Israel. Yakov Berenshteins sight is almost completely gone as a result of having been beaten by criminals in his prison. POC Yuli Edelshtein lies in a hospital. the victim of a badly shattered broken leg and ruptured urethra associated with a suspicious accident while on a construction project at his labor camp. These innocent people continue to suffer. as do all those who make the decision to apply to emigrate. There are almost 400.000 individuals who are at some point in the application process. Once their decision to emigrate is made. loss of employment is almost certain to follow. Once unemployed. such an individual risks arrest on the charge of parasitism. If the applicant is younger. he most certainly risks being drafted into the Soviet Army. which automatically carries with it the knowledge of state secrets for at least 5 years. certain grounds for emigration refusal. There are so many obstacles ahead of one who decides to emigrate. and so much official discrimination and persecution. that those who pursue their dream are to be admired. They suffer for their principles. but they will not be bowed. Mr.
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emigrate emigration