Soviet Jewish Prisoner of Conscience Anatoly Shcharansky has been placed under strict regime in Chistopol Prison, according to information received today by the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry from his wife, Avital. In a letter which his brother Leonid received on July 30, Shcharansky reported that under this new regime his rations have been halved and his daily walks have been restricted to 30 minutes from the previously allowed 60 minutes.
For Shcharansky, who suffers from a serious heart condition resulting from a four month hunger strike which he undertook in 1982, this cutback in daily exercise could have serious implications for his health, the Conference said.
According to Leonid Shcharansky, who lives in Moscow, Anatoly’s letter-writing privileges have also been curtailed, and he is now permitted to write only once every two months, instead of once every month. His next letter is expected at the end of September or early October. Leonid reported that despite these negative developments, the spirit of Anatoly’s letter was positive.
Ida Milgrom, Shcharansky’s aged mother, is planning to travel to Chistopol Prison next week to determine the reason that her son has been subjected to such harsh treatment, the Conference reported. Milgrom’s previously scheduled July 4 visit was cancelled.
Anatoly Shcharansky, who applied to emigrate to Israel in 1973, is currently serving a 13-year sentence (to 1990) for “treason.”
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