NEWS

Spring Books

By William Korey

April 26, 2002

In early September 1973, 35 prominent Jewish activists drafted and distributed throughout Moscow an extraordinary “open letter” in which they publicly identified themselves with physicist Andrei D. Sakharov, the Soviet Union’s leading dissident, as he faced ferocious hate-propaganda campaigns organized by the Kremlin. The letter sought to assure him of “our moral support and deep respect.” Additionally, a few days later, the leading Jewish scientist-refuseniks, including the distinguished Veniamin Levich (who would later teach at the University of Tel Aviv and at the City University of New York), joined in a statement denouncing the propaganda campaigns as “intimidation of all free thinkers and preparation of public opinion for future repression.”

Google translation:

The Swedish Government will evaluate their own behavior

The case of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saves the Hungarian Jews in 1945 and then disappeared in the depths of the Soviet secret police, will continue.The Swedish government announced the creation of a new commission to assess the actions of the country following the arrest of Wallenberg and find out whether everything was done for the salvation of national hero.

The story that more than half a century is hardly a major stumbling block in relations between Moscow and Stockholm, the Russian side is settled. In January, the two capitals was published by the Russian-Swedish report, endowed almost a decade to work together to determine the fate of Wallenberg. Conclusions of the Russian part of the commission are clear: the Swedish diplomat “has died or is likely died July 17, 1947, and responsible for it” the then top state leadership of the USSR. Shortly before the publication of the report prosecutors Russia Wallenberg rehabilitated as victims of repression.  Swedish experts, in turn, noted that “many important questions remain unanswered and the Wallenberg case” can not be closed. ”  In Stockholm suspect that in Russia there are still documents, access to which the commission has not received.