Mr. Speaker. recently. I have come to have doubts about the promise of "glasnost." While it is true that Jewish emigration has increased from the Soviet Union. these figures are still far below the peak year of emigration of 1979 when over 51.000 Jews were granted permission to leave. Today. I would like to bring the case of the Gilbo family to the attention of this House. Evgeny Gilbo. his wife. Tatiana. his mother Rachel. and brother Joseph. have been refused permission to emigrate since their first application to leave in 1981. Their only daughter. Olga. was granted permission to emigrate and now resides in California with her husband Michael Solomon. I find it tragic that the Soviet Government allows Olga to emigrate but forbids her family to leave and subjects them to continued harassment. The continued pattern of persecution of refuseniks is evident in the treatment of the Gilbos. Subsequent to their application to emigrate. Evgeny was stripped of his academic degrees for "activity incompatible with the image of a Soviet scientist." Tatiana was fired from her job. on the rumor that her family planned to emigrate. Olga was expelled from school. and Joseph was fired from his job. The disturbing story of the Gilbo family is compounded by the fact that Olga is pregnant.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration