ETHNIC GERMAN PENTECOSTALS PLAN HUNGER STRIKE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00135R000500930009-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 1, 1983
• Content Type: CABLE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/24: CIA-RDP91 B00135R000500930009-7
PP RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU9037
PP RUEHC
DE RUEHMO #1090/01 2440852
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010844Z SEP 83
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0311
INFO RUFHLG/AMCONSUL LENINGRAD 3608
RUEHDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1705
RUFHOL/AMEMBASSY BONN 5619
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 2708
RUFHMU/AMCONSUL MUNICH 7487
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 11090
E. 0. 12356: DECL:. OADR
TAGS: SHUM, UR, US
-SUBJECT: ETHNIC GERMAN PENTECOSTALS PLAN HUNGER STRIK
REF: MOSCOW 10895(NOTAL)
1. (C - ENTIRE TEXT)
2. SUMMARY: DURING THEIR STAY IN MOSCOW, THREE MEMBERS
OF CODEL PELL MET WITH EIGHT PENTECOSTAL REFUSENIKS AND
DISCUSSED WITH THEM THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS FACED BY
FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS IN THE SOVIET UNION. THE
SENATORS WERE INFORMED THAT A GROUP INCLUDING 49 ETHNIC
GERMAN, PENTECOSTALS FROM THE SOVIET FAR EAST PLANS A
TEN DAY HUNGER STRIKE COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 5. TEXT OF
THE STRIKERS' APPEAL IS CONTAINED PARA 6. END SUMMARY.
3. IN ADDITION TO. MEETINGS DESCRIBED REFTEL'SENATORS.`
SARBANES;..SASSER`-AND BUMPERS.MET WITH 8 REFUSENIK PENTE-
COSTALS AND 3 REFUSENIKJEWS AT THE HOME'OF MOSCOW PENTE-
COSTAL LYDIA STASKEVICH (PROTECT) ON AUGUST 20. THE
MEETING INCLUDED PENTECOSTALS FROM MOSCOW, LENINGRAD,
AND NAKHODKA (SOVIET FAR FAST). THE. PENTECOSTALS OUT-
LINED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE'AS CHRISTIAN FUNDA-
MENTALISTS IN AN ATHEIST STATE. WHILE THERE IS, FOR
EXAMPLE, A CHURCH BUILDING AT THEIR DISPOSAL OUTSIDE OF
MOSCOW, IT IS EXTREMELY SMALL AND TIGHTLY CONTROLLED BY
THE STATE. CONSEQUENTLY, MOST CHURCH SERVICES ARE HELD
IN PRIVATE HOMES, DESPITE FREQUENT RAIDS BY THE MILITIA.
THE FINE FOR ATTENDING AN ILLEGAL SERVICE STARTS AT FORTY
ROUBLES, WHICH REPRESENTS NEARLY ONE MONTH'S PENSION
FOR THE ELDERLY AND UP TO 50 PERCENT OF A YOUNG
UNSKILLED WORKER'S MONTHLY WAGES.
4. EACH INDIVIDUAL RELATED HIS OWN PARTICULAR EXPERIENCES
HOUSE SEARCHES, BEATINGS,. ARRESTS, ETC. ONE PENTECOSTAL',
FOR EXAMPLE, SAID HIS BROTHER WAS ARRESTED AND BEATEN
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CONFIDE TIAL
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FOR TRYING TO ENTER THE AMERICAN CONSULATE GENERAL IN
LENINGRAD. ANOTHER, A RESIDENT OF NAKHODKA, PRIMCRSKIY
KRAY, DESCRIBED THE PLIGHT OF A COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY
260 PENTECOSTALS IN NAKHOOKA, ABOUT FIFTY OF WHOM UN-
SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED TO EMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES
IN THE LATE 1970'S. THEIR GROUP HAS BEEN DENOUNCED IN
THE LOCAL PRESS FOR "IMMORAL BEHAVIOR" AND "FASCINATION
WITH THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE." THE NAKHODKA RESIDENT
FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT FORTY-NINE OF THIS GROUP WERE
ETHNIC GERMANS, AND THAT THEY, TOGETHER WITH SEVERAL
OTHER FAMILIES, PLAN A 10-OAY HUNGER STRIKE COMMENCING
SEPTEMBER 5 TO PROTEST THEIR PERSECUTION AND DENIAL OF
THE RIGHT TO EMIGRATE. A COPY OF THE HUNGER-STRIKERS'
APPEAL TO THE SOVIET AND FRG GOVERNMENTS, TO THE UN
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, TO MADRID CSCE PARTICIPANTS,
AND TO THE MEDIA (INFORMAL TRANSLATION IN PARA 6)
WAS EARLIER GIVEN TO EMBASSY HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER.
5. COMMENT: ON DEPARTURE, THE SENATORS NOTED THAT THE
BUILDING IN WHICH THE MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE SEEMED TO
BE CLOSELY WATCHED BY MILITIA AND OTHERS LINGERING
AROUND THE ENTRANCE--IN MARKED CONTRAST TO EARLIER
MEETINGS DESCRIBED REFTEL.
6. BEGIN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF HUNGER STRIKERS APPEAL:
TO THE GOVT OF THE FRG
TO THE GOVT OF THE USSR
TO THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
TO THE DELEGATES OF THE MADRID CSCE CONFERENCE
TO ALL INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA
-- WE, RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF CHUGUEVKA, PRIMORSKIY
KRAY, USSR, TURN TO ALL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
WITH AN APPEAL FOR HELP AND SUPPORT.
WE ARE CHRISTIAN PENTECOSTALISTS, PETITIONING TO
LEAVE THE USSR, AND EXPERIENCING CONSTANT REPRESSION BY
THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES. STARTING IN THE LAST HALF OF
1982, FOR CONDUCTING RELIGIOUS MEETINGS, BELIEVERS
WERE FINED A TOTAL (COLLECTIVE) SUM OF MORE THAN 4000
RUBLES, ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED FOR MORE THAN 220 DAYS.
FOR CONDUCTING ONLY ONE SERVICE, BELIEVERS WERE FINED
500 RUBLES, 6 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED, EACH FOR 15 DAYS;
E. 0. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: SHUM, UR, US
SUBJECT: ETHNIC GERMAN PENTECOSTALS PLAN HUNGER STRIKE
SEVERAL BELIEVERS WERE TRIED 6-9 TIMES IN ONLY ONE YEAR.
AT THE END OF MARCH 1983, AFTER SOVIET AUTHORITIES
STARTED THREATENING TO DEPRIVE US OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, WE
SENT OUR SOVIET PASSPORTS TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME
SOVIET OF THE USSR WITH A REQUEST TO GIVE UP SOVIET
CITIZENSHIP AND A PETITION TO GO TO THE FRG (MOST OF US
ARE GERMANS BY NATIONALITY). IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW,
EACH ADULT PAID 50 R TO HAVE HIS PETITION EXAMINED.
ON JUNE 14, 1983, A COMMISSION CAME TO OUR VILLAGE,
HEADED BY THE DIRECTOR OF OVIR OF THE PRIMORSKIY KRAY,
COL. SPIRIN. THE COLONEL BROUGHT THE PASSPORTS AND
DEMANDED THAT THE BELIEVERS TAKE THEM BACK. ALL THE
BELIEVERS REFUSED TO TAKE THE PASSPORTS UNTIL THEIR
REQUEST WAS GRANTED. COL. SPIRIN THEN SAID, IN THESE
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WORDS: THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR
DID NOT EXAMINE YOUR REQUEST, RATHER THEY SENT ALL
DOCUMENTS TO US IN THE KRAY. AND I THREW OUT YOUR STATE-
MENTS AND RECEIPTS, AND INSTEAD OF THE FRG, YOU'LL
GO TO THE NOOSE . .
-- ON JULY 18 COL. SPIRIN SENT FROM VLADIVOSTOK TO THE
PASSPORT OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE OF CHUGUEVKA A WRITTEN
NOTICE THAT THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF
THE USSR REFUSED OUR REQUEST TO DROP SOVIET CITIZENSHIP
AND TO GO TO THE FRG.
-- AS A SYMBOL OF PROTEST AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE
PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR, WE BELIEVERS
OF THE VILLAGE OF CHUGUEVKA ANNOUNCE A HUNGER STRIKE,
TO TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 5-15. IN WHICH WILL PARTICIPATE:
-- 23 MEN AND YOUTHS (FAST FOR 10 DAYS)
-- 13 WOMEN AND GIRLS (FAST FOR 5 DAYS)
-- 16 NURSING MOTHERS AND PREGNANT WOMEN (3 DAYS)
-- 20 CHILDREN, AGES 7-12 (1 DAY).
-- THREE FAMILIES FROM NAKHODKA WILL PARTICIPATE IN
THE HUNGER STRIKE, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE PENTECOSTAL
CHURCH OF CHUGUEVKA, WHO ALSO GAVE IN THEIR PASSPORTS
WITH A STATEMENT TO DROP SOVIET CITIZENSHIP AND RECEIVED
A DENIAL. THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO LEAVE THE USSR FOR THE
U.S. SINCE 1977. WE APPEAL TO WORLD SOCIETY TO SUPPORT
OUR LAWFUL PETITION. END TEXT.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, INCLUDING COMPLETE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
IS BEING POUCHED TO EUR/SOV.
7. THIS MESSAGE HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED WITH CODEL.
ZIMMERMANN
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
FI FIFINI IAL
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