Three Soviet Jews. former prominent members of the film industry, today began a five-day hunger strike to coincide with the London film festival at which Soviet films will be shown, it was reported by Jewish sources here. Mikhail Suslov, a film cameraman, Felix Kandel-Kamov, a cartoon scenarist, and Leon Kann, a sound operator and dubbing editor, said they are protesting against the refusal of Soviet authorities to grant them exit visas.
Suslov and Kandel-Kamov staged a 12-day hunger strike last month coinciding with the San Francisco film festival which also showed Soviet films. A fourth Jew, former journalist Yevgeny Baras, who participated in last month’s hunger strike, said he would not join the new one as he understood his application to emigrate is being considered by Soviet authorities. The three hunger strikers said they were also protesting against repressions, persecutions, illegality and arbitrariness on the part of Soviet officials, Jewish sources said.
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