Foreign Minister Abba Eban accused the Soviet Union today of “suppressing and violating the most elementary human rights” in its treatment of Jewish prisoners in Leningrad. He called their arrest “one of the most shocking episodes in our generation.” Mr. Eban spoke during a question-and-answer period in the Knesset. He referred to nine Jews facing imminent trial in Leningrad for allegedly plotting to hijack a Soviet airliner last spring. Altogether, more than 30 Russian Jews have been imprisoned on this and other charges. Mr. Eban said that several prominent jurists in the United States and Europe have offered to defend the accused or to assist in their defense by Soviet lawyers. He said the Soviet authorities have been notified of these offers but so far have ignored them. Mr. Eban disclosed that the Soviet Union had “warned” Israel several times by means of declarations against carrying out its alleged intention to strike at Egypt’s Assuan High Dam. Israel has never directly threatened the dam which was financed by Russia and built under the supervision of Soviet engineers. But Israeli air raids on targets deep inside Egypt a year ago demonstrated the dam’s vulnerability.
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