The State Department today announced its “deep distress” over religious persecution in the Soviet Union but said the United States Embassy in Moscow was in no position to give sanctuary to a group of about 30 Siberian peasants who sought refuge there today.
Embassy officials informed the State Department that the peasants, who identified themselves as Evangelical Christians, wanted to go the State of Israel. A U.S. official said, “it is not clear whether they were talking of the modern Israel, or of the Old Testament Israel.” Because it is contrary to American policy to grant asylum to foreign nationals at U. S. embassies, the group was turned over to Soviet authorities.
State Department spokesman Lincoln White said “it is deeply disturbing to us that there should be, in any country, restrictions on the free exercise of religion or any other elementary human rights. Nevertheless, this unhappy situation concerns Soviet citizens on their own territory.” Israeli diplomatic quarters had no comment.
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