It is becoming clear that the situation demands action in the near future. as more cases of human rights violations are shown. The plight of the Kopot family was recently brought to my attention. The family has been endlessly harassed since their first appeal for emigration visas for religious reasons in 1977. Apparently the KGB has threatened them. stirred up neighbors against them. obstructed the son Mikhails passage through technical school. and intercepted invitations to emigrate and other communications originating from the United States and Israel. This is precisely the type of human rights violations that the United States has raised with the Soviet Union. If there is true change within the Soviet Union and Secretary Gorbachev is honest about changing Soviet policy toward dissidents and political prisoners. then cases like this one should be resolved with all due speed. The Soviet Union signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. and the International Covenants on Human Rights and thereby guarantees its citizens the right to emigrate. The Kopot family should have the chance to exercise this "guaranteed" right and the Soviet authorities should adhere to these important human rights agreements. The Kopot family is one case out of many.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visas