The Swiss government has announced that it would give political asylum to all Soviet dissidents facing trial. The Swiss Foreign Ministry called in the Soviet Ambassador and expressed concern about the violation of the Helsinki Act in the trials of Anatoly Shcharansky and Alexander Ginzburg. Commenting on this development, the Swiss press noted that it is the first time in the country’s history that the government has reacted in such a fashion toward a country with which it has normal diplomatic relations.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.