Speech #990194304

Sonia has applied to leave the Soviet Union 14 times. According to Soviet law. Sonia should be eligible for an exist visa: she has no criminal record. has not served in the armed services. and has had no access to classified Information. Yet Sonia MelnikovaEichenvald has been denied exit from the Soviet Union 13 times. Her husbands visa expires this August. and the couple may now face a long and unjustified separation. Sonia and Michaels case is just one of a number of binational marriage cases waiting for decisions from the Soviet Government. The Soviet Union is in direct violation of its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. as it continues to reject the petitions for these families and subject them to harassment and separation from family and friends. There were hopes that under new Soviet leadership many of the human rights and emigration policies would be changed. Unfortunately. these important changes have not been seen. I call upon the Soviet Union. in accordance with the Helsinki Final Act. to grant Sonia MelnikovaEichenvald. the right to emigrate and join her husband in this country. thus preserving and building a peaceful and cooperative environment for both our countries to continue negotiations for a peaceful world.