Jewish sources in the Soviet Union reported today that David Azbel has appealed to the Soviet Red Cross, asking that one of their representatives visit him next Tuesday, which will be the 20th day of his hunger strike. Meanwhile, it was disclosed that the KGB, with the help of the ovir, have deceived Benjamin Gorochoy, who had originally planned to join the hunger strike at Azbel’s Moscow apartment. Just before the hunger strike was due to begin, Gorochoy was told that his exit visa would be given him within a few days if he would refrain from joining the hunger strike. He agreed, but heard nothing for the next two weeks. Yesterday he and his wife, Sofia, went to the ovir to ask for their exit visas only to be told that their applications had been rejected.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.