2 Soviet Jewish Activists Seized on Their Way into U.S. Embassy

Two Jewish activists were seized by Soviet plainclothes police yesterday afternoon while being escorted to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow by an American diplomat, the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ) reported today. Prof. Benjamin Fein, who was chairman of the aborted Moscow Jewish Cultural Symposium last December and his companion. Iosif Begun, were released last night after several hours’ detention at different police stations, the SSSJ said.

According to the SSSJ the two had an appointment at the Embassy to present documents about the symposium and an appeal on Jewish emigration rights to be conveyed to the U.S. Congressional committee which monitors Soviet compliance with the human rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Agreements. They were escorted by Larry C. Napper. Third Secretary at the Embassy. The escort was necessary because Moscow police who guard the Embassy bar entry to any Soviet national without official authorization.

The SSSJ said the plainclothesmen hustled Fein and Beguh into cars, ignoring Napper’s explanation that they were expected at the Embassy. They told Napper that the two Jews were “dangerous criminals.” Fein and Begun were interrogated at different police stations for about six hours before they were released.

The Symposium on Jewish Culture that Fein helped organize last year was banned by the Soviet government on grounds that it was an anti-Soviet activity. Most of the organizers were placed under house arrest and visas were denied to scholars from abroad who had planned to participate. The symposium convened nevertheless but was forced to adjourn after a brief meeting. Fein and Begun have been refused exit visas to emigrate to Israel.