§ 5. Mr. Bendallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make further representations to the Soviet leadership urging them to grant an amnesty to Anatoly Shcharansky and to enable him to join his wife in Israel.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind)My right hon. Friend and I have both raised Mr. Shcharansky's plight with the Soviet ambassador recently and my right hon. Friend also took it up personally with the Soviet Foreign Minister in New York at the end of September. The United Kingdom delegation to the CSCE review meeting at Madrid has also raised Mr. Shcharansky's case several times.
§ Mr. BendallAlthough I am grateful for the Minister's reply and the Government's involvement in trying to help thisunfortunate man, I assume that my hon. Friend is aware that Mr. Shcharansky has now been on hunger strike for several months and that basic human rights are being denied to his family with regard to knowing of his condition and his whereabouts? Can further representations be made, on the ground, that basic human rights are being denied?
§ Mr. RifkindIt is true that Mr. Shcharansky has been on hunger strike since 27 September because of the Soviet authorities' refusal to allow him to have any contact with his family. That shows the severe way in which the Soviet authorities are treating him and the urgent need for everyone to do all that they can to impress on the Soviet Union that progress at Madrid and elsewhere depends on respecting basic human rights.
§ Mr. Greville JannerIs the Minister aware that the all-party parliamentary committee for the release of Soviet Jewry has awarded its annual Henry Moore award this year to Mr. Shcharansky? Is he aware that representations have constantly been made on his behalf and that they have fallen on utterly deaf ears in the Soviet Union? Will the Minister please renew his representations on behalf of us all?
§ Mr. RifkindUnfortunately, Mr. Shcharansky's case is only one of many thousands in the Soviet Union. The number of Soviet Jews being permitted to leave the Soviet Union this year is likely to be fewer than 3,000. That represents a substantial change of policy by the Soviet Government.
§ Mr. MarlowWill my hon. Friend also urge Mr. Begin and Mr. Sharon to release some thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese from—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. That is a question for the Order Paper. It does not arise on this question, which relates to the Soviet Union.
§ Mr. MarlowWith regard to Mr. Shcharansky—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I think that the hon. Gentleman could not have heard what I said. His question was not related to the one on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. MarlowMay I relate my question to Mr. Shcharansky, Mr. Speaker? If he is to go to Israel, will my hon. Friend bear in mind that there are many Palestinians who would also like to go there?
§ Mr. RifkindThe important thing at this stage is to try to do whatever we can to allow Mr. Shcharansky to go to whichever country he chooses to live in.
§ Mr. George RobertsonIs the Minister aware that we welcome his assurance that constant representations are being made on behalf of Mr. Scharansky and that we hope they will bear fruit? When those representations are being made, will he bear in mind the Prime Minister's offer of asylum for the Vashchenco and Chmyknalov families in the American embassy in Moscow? Will he ensure that the British delegation at the CSCE review meeting at Madrid also bears their case in mind?
§ Mr. RifkindOur delegation in Madrid is raising a substantial number of cases. They all point to the Soviet Union's refusal to honour its obligations under the original Helsinki agreement. I accept the hon. Gentleman's point.