They have a small infant. Chaim. who turned 2 years old earlier this month. The family applied for exit visas to Israel in 1983. but were refused without any explanation other than the cryptic phrase: Your emigration from the U.S.S.R. is not justified at the present time." Mr. and Mrs. Magariks exit visas were denied presumably because of Alexey Magariks desire to associate himself with the culture and music of his heritage. The fact that both Alexey and Natalia have signed petitions demanding free repatriation of Jews to Israel must have further prejudiced their applications in the eyes of Soviet emigration officials. For these heinous crimesthat is to say. being a Jew participating in Jewish cultural life. exercising the universal right of free. peaceful expression. and applying to emigrateMagarik was arrested at Tbilisi Airport in March 1986. He was charged with possessing and disseminating illegal drugsdrugs Soviet investigators asserted that all Jews must use on Shabbat because they are commanded to do so by Jewish ritual. After a sham investigation. in which Magariks fingerprints were not taken to compare with those found on the drugs allegedly found in his possession. he was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Identified stereotypes
Soviet investigators asserted that all Jews must use drugs on Shabbat because they are commanded to do so by Jewish ritual.