Speech #1010048365

I rise today to participate in the Congressional Call to Conscience Vigil for Soviet Jewry and to bring to the attention of this Chamber the plight of the Ralz family of Vilnius. Lithuania. Vladimir and Carmella Ralz first applied for permission to emigrate to Israel over 17 years agoin May. 1972. At that time. Vladimir was employed as a molecular biologist at the Moscow institute of Molecular Biology. Carmella was the first violinist in the Vilnius Philharmonic Orchestra. Upon submitting their request to emigrate. as is typical in refusenik cases. Carmella was demoted and has been allowed to work only sporadically since then. Vladimir was dismissed from his position at the Moscow Institute of Molecular Biology In June. 1979. The reason given for refusal of permission to emigrate was Vladimirs access to "state secrets." Vladimir has not dealt with classified material since 1965. His institute has certified that the research he conducted is no longer classified. Clearly. 25 years after this work. access to state secrets is not a credible excuse for refusing the Raiz family permission to emigrate. Vladimir and Carmella Ralz have two sons. Moshe. born in 1977. and Shaul. born in 1982.