State Dept. Intervenes for Yampolsky’s Family; Asks Soviets to Consider Humanitarian Approach

The State Department disclosed today that it has made formal representations on humanitarian grounds to the Soviet Embassy here on behalf of Mark Yampolsky’s family. The 25-year-old former Russian jazz drummer and mathematics student is in the eighth day of a hunger strike opposite the Soviet Embassy to protest the refusal of Russian authorities to grant exit visas to his in-laws, Dr. and Mrs. Isaac Politinnikov and their daughter Victoria, who live in Novosibirsk.

State Department spokesman John King also disclosed that the Department had rejected a request from the Soviet Embassy that it intervene to end Yampolsky’s hunger strike. King said the Embassy made the request on March 27, the day Yampolsky began his fast, on grounds that the protestor was violating the law. A District of Columbia ordinance forbids demonstrations with in 500 feet of foreign legations. Yampolsky is conducting his hunger strike in front of the Philip Murray building, across the street and about 60 feet away from the Embassy gates. It is the same site where local Jews have been maintaining a daily vigil for nearly two years.

King said the State Department had consulted with the DC police and was informed that Yampolsky was not violating the law which was intended to prevent mass demonstrations that blocked entry to foreign embassies. Replying to questions from reporters, King said the State Department official who received the Soviet Embassy’s protest by phone eight days ago, made the first informal representation on behalf of Yampolsky’s family. He said the official, who he did not identify, suggested that the Soviet government should take a humanitarian approach with regard to the Politinnikovs. He said that since then, several telephone conversations had taken place between State Department and Soviet Embassy officials during which the Department repeated its representations on a formal basis. King said that while neither Yampolsky nor his relatives are American citizens, the State Department’s representations were in line “with our consistent view for free emigration. We did draw this particular case to the attention of the Soviet Embassy on a humanitarian basis,” he said.

MAY END FAST ON DOCTOR’S ORDERS

Yampolsky expressed gratitude when he was informed of the State Department’s actions by a Jewish Telegraphic Agency reporter today. “I am very grateful to the State Department and I would appreciate it if my gratitude will be published. It really might help.” he said. Yampolsky sat huddled in a blanket reading a Russian novel. He appeared very weak and said he was barely able to talk owing to his eight day fast. He indicated that he would end his fast tonight if his physician advised it.

Yampolsky’s wife, Eleanora, ended her hunger strike yesterday outside the Soviet Embassy in London. She had begun it on behalf of her parents on March 26, a day before Yampolsky began his fast here. Yampolsky was visited today by 80 children from the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington who came by bus to join his vigil. When they started to pray, police ordered them to a point 500 feet away from the Embassy gates.