Mr. Speaker. my colleagues should be aware of a family living in the Soviet Union who have the dubious distinction of being one of the most longlasting refusenik cases. Oscar and Shelley Mendeleyev first applied for exit visas in 1970. the same year their twin sons. Grigory and Valery. were born. It has been 17 years since that first refusal. Oscar Mendeleyev is a geophysicist and an electronic engineer who has had his inventions published openly not only in the Soviet Union but also in the West. For example. one invention determines automatically the conductivity of soil by using microwaves. As a direct result of their application for exit visas. Oscar Mendeleyev was fired from his professional posts and has been unable to find meaningful work in his scientific field since 1970. The Mendeleyev family has been supported by the hard work of Shelley who is a pediatrician. The Soviet visa office has claimed that the refusals for permission to leave the country have been in response to Mr. Mendeleyevs access to state secrets. The truth of the matter. though.
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