Dr. Mikhail Stern, the Vinnitsa doctor sentenced to eight years in prison on bribery charges, lost his appeal today in the Ukrainian Supreme Court in Kiev, the National Conference for Soviet Jewry reported. Dr. Stern’s son. August, who is in the United States under NCSJ auspices to seek help for his father, said “My father is innocent. He is being punished because of my brother’s and my desire for emigrate to Israel. The Soviet government is trying to make an example of my father because he is a much beloved and respected physician. I appeal to all Americans to ask Soviet authorities to return my father to me.”
Stanley H. Lowell, NCSJ chairman, said “All Americans must be shocked at this decision. Dr. Stern is innocent. Perhaps the Russians believe that Americans no longer care. We will show them how wrong they are. The National Conference for Soviet Jewry will mobilize all its resources, including the National Medical Committee, on his behalf. We have cabled Mrs. Stern to tell her we are with her on this tragic day.” The NCSJ said there was a possibility that Dr. Stern could appeal the conviction to a higher court in Moscow but that prospects for a reversal were poor.
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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.
