Russian Jews in focus

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32494, 2 January 1971, Page 15

Russian Jews in focus

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) MOSCOW, Jan. 1. The fate of Russian Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel has been brought into sharp focus by the reprieve of two men sentenced to death for plotting to hijack a Russian plane and flee from the country. Like the six death sentences also commuted at the trial of Basque nationalists in Spain, the Leningrad case caused anger round the world; nowhere more than in Israel. Many of their fellow-Jews. like most of the 11 accused of the intention to hijack, have firmly expressed their desire to go to Israel. Whether the stand taken by the Russian authorities on

the attempted hijacking foreshadows a restriction on Jewish emigration still remains an open question. Another imponderable is how far, if at all, the Kremlin was swayed by both international public opinion and General Franco’s clemency decision two days ago on the convicted Basques. General Franco used his prerogative as Head of State and commuted all nine death sentences to 30-year prison sentences. Certainly the ruling of the Soviet Union Supreme Court, which gave the principal offenders 15-year hard-labour terms and reduced the labour - camp sentences handed to the other nine accused, has avoided any comparison—obviously odious to Moscow —with Spain, had the six Basques been spared and the two would-be hijackers gone before firing-squads.

Russia has maintained that it was not the nationality of the defendants—all but two of whom were Jewish—which was on trial, but the serious crime of attempted hijacking. The official attitude to hijacking has hardened since two Russian planes were hijacked to Turkey, in October; a Russian stewardess was killed in the first incident. This may have influenced the verdict in Leningrad, as a warning to the Soviet Union public of how hijackers would be treated.

The Russian news agency, Tass, commented last night that the Leningrad court’s decision was in line with a United Nations resolution on the need for all countries to take stem measures to prevent hijacking. The Government newspaper, “Izvestia,” was quoted by Tass as emphasising that equally severe sentences for an attempted crime as for the crime itself were in accordance with the law in the United States, Britain and other countries.

Both these reports are seen by observers to show that the conduct of the hijacking trial under Russian law was in lixe with other countries, and to counter widespread criticism at the severity of the sentences. There have been unofficial

reports from Jewish sources that further groups of Jews are due to go on trial later this month on hijacking charges.

There is no way of confirming these reports officially. But clearly the eyes of Israel and of Zionist groups in many other countries will be watching closely developments in the Soviet Union.