Due to repeated antiSemitic violence. Dushnanbe has become one of the most dangerous places In the U.S.S.R. for Jews to live. Yet Yakov. his wife. and his daughter have all been denied permission to emigrate to Israel to join relatives there. A geologist. Yakov has been denied the freedom to emigrate on the baseless suspicion that he took advantage of his job to attach classified documents to nonsecret material requested. No proof of criminal activity has been found to Incriminate Yakov of any wrongdoing. The Bekker family has yet to be given a legitimate reason by the Soviet Government for their continued detainment. In fact. In a private conversation with a Soviet official. Yakov was told that the real reason for his refusal was "his performance at work and a shortage of such specialists in Tadzhikistan." Since being refused the right to emigrate. Yakov and his family have experienced further injustices. Yakov has been denounced to the KGB by coworkers trying to gain favor with the government. He has also been expelled from the Tadzhik Geological Society. In addition. his wife has been demoted at her job and given a cut in salary. Innocent and upstanding Soviet Jews such as Yakov and his family should not be prevented from emigrating to Israel to live with their relatives. The dpnial by the Soviet Government. based solelf*n trumped up charges. of the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate is a violation of basic human rights. I hope that the struggle of these courageous people will continue to weigh on our consciences. and that Congress will be vigilant in its monitoring of the plight of refuseniks.
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emigrate emigrating