Human rights in R Russia J sia Y YU f I 4 R 4 I One does not ne need d to cite the abuses abuses' heaped upon upon an Alexander Solz- Solz or Andrew to document the systematic violation of basic human rights that is part and parcel of the Soviet Union Take the case for example of Valentyn a Ukrainian historian who since 1965 Has lias spent all but nine months in Soviet prisons because of his writings A Munich-based Munich editor of t the e Ukrainian Review Slava a a leading Soviet emigre recently herself-recently explained in a radio interview that last year a three- three month hunger strike in prison He survived his strike and now he has completed his sentence-it sentence should be completed by the first of June- June and hell he'll be transported to the concentration concentration concentration con con- camps explained Mrs The Russians were afraid to bring him among other prisoners atthe at atthe atthe the prisons and therefore they transferred him to an insane asylum and we are very much afraid that they will try by means of chemicals to crush his will Mrs notes the case is only one of many such human T 1 I tragedies in in inthe the USSR Which raises the question Is there nothing in Soviet law to prevent such actions The answer is that there is a Soviet constitution which on first glance should prevent these widespread abuses ArU Article le of that constitution actually ca fundamental law ostensibly g guarantees citizens of the USSR Freedom of speech freedom of the press freedom of assembly and rallies freedom of street processions and demonstrations The sieve through which these guarantees go down the drain however is Article 12 s 's notice that the freedom are to be exercised in conformity with the interests of the working people and for the purpose of strengthening the socialist system In other free expression is okay if and only if it parrots the Communist Party line thus strengthening strengthening strengthening strength ening the socialist system As Americans we can be thankful indeed to live under our Constitution with its genuine guarantees of liberty rather than its Russian counterpart which makes a mockery of such guarantees