Soviet Official Tells Mother of Shcharansky Condition Poor

The National Conference on Soviet Jewry has just received a report that Ida Milgrom, the mother of Prisoner of Conscience Anatoly Shcharansky, recently met with Vyacheslav Romanov, deputy head of the medical services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He told her that her son left the camp hospital on June 3, after undergoing a series of examinations. He said that Shcharansky suffers from a weakness of the eye muscles and that his weight stands at 119 lbs. This indicates a severe weight loss since his incarceration in March 1977.

Romanov also informed Mrs. Milgrom that in about ten days he expected a detailed diagnosis of Anatoly’s condition and that he would send a copy of the report to her. He refused to discuss a possible visitation date or the punishment to which Shcharansky has been subjected, saying that these matters were under the jurisdiction of the camp management.

The meeting took place following much pressure from the West and Mrs. Milgrom’s persistent efforts to learn about her son’s physical condition. She was finally allowed to speak with Albert Ivanov, assistant head of the administrative section of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, who arranged her meeting with Romanov.