Many still linger in prisons and psychiatric wards. Cultural exchanges with the West are still tightly controlled by Soviet authorities who determine whether Soviet artists are reliable to appear in the West and who chose who from the West is acceptable for Soviet audiences. The emigration of Jews has increased from less than 100 a month in recent years to 500. but it is still a fraction of the annual rate of 50.000 under Brezhnev. When the actual numbers of Soviet Jewish emigration are measured against the demand by 400.000 Soviet Jews to leave. one can appreciate that the Soviets are only allowing a trickle to leave. To make matters worse. the Soviets promulgated a new emigration law which would exclude 90 percent of the Jews who have indicated their desire to leave from emigrating. In addition. Soviet authorities are not even accepting applications to emigrate. thereby eliminating the need to refuse applications and thereby eliminating future refuseniks. As the record shows the freeing of Yosef Begun cannot hide the paltry reality that glasnost is so far. Mr.
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