Situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 3 May 1988 (3rd Sitting) (see Doc. 5868, report of the Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries, Rapporteur : Mr Hassler). Text adopted by the Assembly on 3 May 1988 (3rd Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Recalling its
Resolution 412 (1969) on the situation of the Jewish communities in European non-member countries, its Recommendations 632 (1971), 722 (1974) and 778 (1976), and its Resolutions 679 (1978), 740 (1980), 795 (1983) and 845 (1985) on the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union ;
2. Noting with satisfaction that, since the adoption of
Resolution 845 (1985), all prisoners of Zion have been released ;
3. Stressing that the Soviet Union has adhered to many international conventions and agreements, and in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention against Discrimination in Education, of Unesco, and the Helsinki Final Act, which guarantee freedom of emigration and cultural expression ;
4. Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees personal freedom, protection against arbitrary arrest and discrimination, the right to independent and impartial tribunals and freedom of religion, freedom of movement and the right to change nationality ;
5. Recalling the guarantees protecting the rights of nationalities contained in the Soviet Constitution, and the obligations of the Soviet Union under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which stipulates that everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own ;
6. Expressing the hope that there will be an improvement in the difficult situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union, notably the difficulties encountered exercising their religion and culture, including their study of the Hebrew language ;
7. Noting that the Jews in the Soviet Union are an oppressed cultural minority, and recognising this situation as a case for international concern ;
8. Concerned over the new Soviet law requiring that a person seeking to emigrate must provide an invitation from a first-degree relative abroad and an authorised statement by his parents in the USSR certifying that the applicant has no outstanding financial obligations towards them, this being contrary to the right guaranteed under international law stipulating that everyone shall be free to leave any country ;
9. Recalling that, since 1968, more than 600 000 Jews in the Soviet Union have received invitations from relatives in Israel, in accordance with their request, and that 267 000 have obtained exit permits ;
10. Regretting however that, since 1979, when over 51 000 Jews were permitted to emigrate, the annual figure of emigration has been considerably reduced, reaching 914 in 1986
11. Noting with satisfaction that, nevertheless, 8 155 persons were allowed to leave in 1987 ;
12. Expressing the hope that the encouraging development in 1987 will continue and the number of Jews permitted to emigrate will substantially increase in 1988 and in the years to come,
13. Calls upon the Soviet Government :
13.1 to allow the Jews in the Soviet Union to live free of discrimination, to exercise their Jewish religion, their cultural traditions, to teach and learn the Hebrew language, to have contacts with Jews abroad and to hear religious or cultural radio programmes ;
13.2
a to allow those Jews who wish to emigrate to do so ;
b to refrain from abusing certain limited permissible restrictions on the right to emigrate, in particular restrictions based on national security and alleged knowledge of state secrets being invoked arbitrarily and in exaggerated proportions in order to deny exit permits for prolonged periods to a substantial number of Jews ;
c to remove all administrative obstacles in the application procedure for emigration, and in particular the need to present an invitation from a first-degree relative abroad ;
d to end hindering or modifying the employment situation of applicants for emigration visas and their relatives ;
14. Calls upon members of the Assembly to continue to intervene within their national parliaments and with their governments pressing for Soviet compliance with the requests put forward in this resolution.
