Aiding Soviet scientists

Abstract

For several years, U.S. scientists have watched with growing concern the difficulties experienced by a number of their colleagues in the Soviet Union. As outlined in an article on page 18, there are two groups involved—those active in the human rights movement and Jewish scientists who have applied to emigrate. Soviet scientists have led the struggle for reform and the rule of law in the U.S.S.R. Among this distinguished but diminishing band have been physicist Andrei Sakharov (still active but repeatedly the target of harassment, and organized attacks by press and fellow scientists), physicist Valery Chalidze and biochemist Zhores Medvedev (both now exiled), biologist Sergei Kovalev (now in prison), and physicist Andrei Tverdokhlebov (expected to go on trial this month). And scientists have been prominent leaders of the Jewish refuseniks—those refused exit visas. Official statements outlining Soviet policy and actions conflict rather markedly, to say the least, with the reality described by emigrants, ...