Statement Condemning Soviet Human
Rights Policies
(October 18, 1983)
Barely a month after attending an international conference
in Madrid and joining 34 nations in a commitment to respect human rights,
the Soviet Union has gone back on its word, launching a new campaign
of repression against human rights activists.
Moscow has just sentenced a well-known Soviet refusenik, Iosif Begun,
to 7 years imprisonment and 5 years of internal exile. The punishment
of this courageous Jewish believer is the most severe measure specified
in article 70 of the Soviet criminal code, dealing with dissemination
of so-called anti-Soviet propaganda. Soviet persecution of religious
and political dissidents is not new. In the case of Mr. Begun, the Soviet
regime has refused for 13 years to honor his request to emigrate to
Israel.
But Soviet policy toward Jewish emigration and dissident movements
has sunk to a new low of brutality and repression. Antisemitism has
escalated dramatically, as has harassment of other human rights defenders.
We have received reports that Father Sigitas Tamkevicius, a Lithuanian
Catholic priest active on behalf of religious freedom, is facing a similar
fate as Iosif Begun.
Finally, we have received reports that Oleg Radzinskiy has also been
tried. Mr. Radzinskiy, a member of the unofficial Soviet peace organization
Group To Establish Trust Between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., was arrested
October 28, 1982, and has been held for almost a year. The inability
of Soviet authorities to tolerate any activities by those who are not
members of their government-controlled, ``captive'' peace groups illustrates
the hypocrisy of their statements. There is a night and day contrast
between aggressive Soviet efforts to encourage peace demonstrations
in the West and their brutal arrests and exile of peace activists in
the East.
We condemn these illegal and inhumane acts. We hold the Soviet Union
accountable for its violations of numerous international agreements
and accords on human rights to which it is a party. We call upon the
Soviets to reverse their inhumane policies and to prove to the world
they will back up their words with action and start living up to their
agreements.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |