A panel of Israeli doctors says that if Prisoner of Zion Yuli Edelstein does not receive adequate and immediate medical treatment, he will be crippled for life from serious injuries sustained in a Soviet prison at the beginning of this year.
The physicians told a press conference called here Sunday by the Committee of 35 — the organization formed by 35 British women to oversee the treatment of Prisoners of Conscience in the Soviet Union — that Edelstein’s injuries could have resulted either from his being run over by a motor vehicle or from a fall.
Edelstein, 27, was injured in a Soviet prison camp on the Mongolian border on January 29. The prison authorities claimed that he had been hurt in a work accident, but it is known that the refusenik had been singled out for harassment in prison and had been severely beaten and hurt.
Details of his injuries, medical reports and even an X-ray were sent to Israel by Edelstein’s wife, Tanya. On the basis of these reports, local medical experts reached a diagnosis which was presented at the press conference by Prof. Amnon Fried, a Beilinson Hospital orthopedic surgeon; Prof. Ciro Servadio, head of Beilinson’s urology department; Dr. Ram Yishai, head of the Israel Medical Association; and Prof. Arye Harel, head of the Magen David Adom first aid society.
According to the doctors, Edelstein has a severe pelvic fracture, and a fracture of the upper femur with multiple splinters and dislocation. He also had a torn urethra. The speakers noted that Soviet law stipulates that a prisoner disabled while serving his sentence must be freed.
PLEA BY SOVIET CHESS MASTERS
The Israel Public Council for Soviet Jewry has, meanwhile, published an appeal by Soviet International Chess Grand Master Boris Gulko and his wife, International Master Ann Akhsharumova, addressed to the International Chess Federation and the international chess community, complaining of their treatment by the Soviet authorities.
They say they have been refused exit visas to travel abroad or to go to Israel since 1979, and have not been allowed to take part in chess tournaments, or when they do so, chess rules are not applied to them.
In 1983, the Chess Masters said, the USSR sports committee ordered the annual championship arbiter to ignore the rules in the case of Akhsharumova. “They actually robbed Akhsharumova of her gold medal,” they complained.
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