Soviet Jewish refusenik Aleksandr Kholmiansky of Moscow, a charismatic 34-year-old Hebrew teacher, has been arrested and is being charged with hooliganism, according to information received today by the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry.
Kholmiansky, who has been waiting for permission to emigrate since 1978, faces up to a year in prison on the accusation that he trampled on some flowers in a public park. He has been in confinement since late July, but no trial date has been announced.
The whereabouts of another Moscow refusenik, Aleksandr Yakir, are unknown, the Conference reported. Yakir was originally scheduled to go to trial on August 2 on charges of refusing military service, but his trial was postponed. His parents have apparently not been able to speak with him, and are extremely concerned about his situation. The charge against him carries a maximum sentence of three years.
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.
