Vladimir Kislik, a long-term refusenik from Kiev, was arrested March 19 as he was leaving a Purim party, according to information received by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ). Reports are unclear as to what charges have been made against Kislik or the duration of his sentence. No news has been received from him since his arrest.
The 46-year-old physicist has been the target of constant KGB harassment since he applied to emigrate to Israel in 1973. In July 1980 he was arrested for “petty hooliganism” and sentenced to 15 days in jail. When told that another 15 days had been added to his sentence, he began a hunger strike, whereupon he was transferred to a psychiatric institution, the NCSJ reported.
The NCSJ also said it learned that in a related matter in Moscow this week, Jewish refusenik scientists were visited by KGB agents, who strongly suggested that they no longer participate in the scientific seminars o### “they would share the fate of Brailosky.” Viktor Brailovsky, a Soviet Jewish scientist and dissident, was arrested last November and has been held incommunicado in Moscow’s Butyrka prison on charges of “defaming Soviet public and State order.” In addition, Moscow refuseniks who attend Hebrew studies were also visited by the KGB and warned to cease their activities, the NCSJ said.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.