Mr. President. in this time of improved EastWest relations and rising hopes for greater freedom in the Soviet Union. there remains a group of people who are still being denied a basic human right: The freedom to emigrate. I am here today to share with my colleagues the case of Igor Gopp. a Soviet Jewish refusenik. Mr. Gopp. A resident of St. Petersburg. has been trying to emigrate since 1990. He is a softwear engineer and. until 1988. worked at Leningrad OpticoMechanical Amalgamation. which was attached to the Ministry of Defense industry. His work there was considered to be of a confidential nature. and his application for emigration has been refused a number of times on the grounds of state secrecy. While Mr. Gopps application was refused. his family was permitted to leave. They will not agree 5.o59 007 0 ol . 138 (11. 8) 32 to leave until he is also allowed to emigrate. Mr. President. it is outrageous that this man should continue to be denied the right to emigrate because of a Job he held 4 years ago. Despite the many political changes in the Soviet Union. there is little change in the fate of the hundreds of known Jewish refusenik cases that remainand there is little change in the fate of Mr. Gopp.
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emigrate emigration