These include Soviet Jewish refusenik Iosif Berenshtein and Soviet Christian activist Aleksandr Ogorodnikov. on behalf of both of whom I have written to Secretary Gorbachev. But many others still remain in prison. locked away for the crime of practicing their religion or for the offense of merely speaking in favor of the independence of regions enslaved by the Soviets after the world wars. Four hundred and fifty visas in 1 month is indeed a great improvement over the rate for every year since 1981. But while it is 10 times better than March 1986. when only 47 visas were granted. it is still only onetenth as good as March 1979. when some 4.000 Soviets were given permission to leave for freer shores. And we must not forget the standard of free emigration against which even the best of these figures must be judged. In 1948. the Soviets signed the U.N.s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. which states that. "Everyone has the right to leave any country. including their own." And in 1975 the U.S.S.R. signed the Helsinki accord. which declares that. "The participating states will deal in a positive and humanitarian spirit with the application of persons who wish to be reunited with members of their family. with special attention being given to requests of an urgent charactersuch as requests submitted by persons who are ill or old." Vladimir Slepak. a refusenik whose son is presently in the midst of a 17day fast on the grounds of this building. has said to us. his friends in America. "If you turn your eyes. even for a moment. we will cease to exist." I share Mr. Slepaks suspicion that without a continued strong show of interest by the West. the recent signs of improvement in Soviet human rights will disappear.
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emigration visas