Soviet physicist loses citizenship

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33100, 15 December 1972, Page 11

Soviet physicist loses citizenship

(N.ZP.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, December 13. A Soviet dissident, Dr Valery Chalidze, had his citizenship revoked today while on a lecture tour in America.

But he said that he "did | not fall unconscious when i the news was broken.” i When • Dr Chalidze was | asked what his plans were (after being barred from his homeland, the civil liberties advocate replied. “I plan to go eat.” Dr Chalidze, a polymer physicist and expert in Soviet constitutional law, said that even if he were never allowed to return to Russia, he wanted to repay the Government for his education.

“I am going to ask Soviet authorities to send a bill for the education which I received, in accordance with the education tax,” he said in an interview. "I am in a more favourable situation than Jews who want to leave.” The controversial Soviet tax requires a person to repay the Government for his education before being allowed to emigrate. This ha< affected primarily Jews, seeking to leave the U.S.S.R. for Israel. Dr Chalidze. a non-Jew. has championed the cause of Soviet J“ws wishing to emigrate. He founded the com-

mittee on human rights in the Soviet Union.

He said that his pressuring (for civil liberties in the SoIviet Union was the reason he I lost his citizenship. A decree passed by the ipresidium of the Supreme Soviet yesterday revoked his (rights for alleged “acts disi crediting a Soviet citizen.” I A representative of the (Soviet Embassy in WashingTon took away Dr Chalidze’s passport in his New York hotel room.