HC Deb 09 February 1983 vol 36 cc380-1W
Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the implementation by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries of the provisions of the Helsinki final act during the past six months.

Mr. Rifkind

During the second half of 1982 the Soviet Union and the countries of eastern Europe continued to disregard many of their commitments under the Helsinki final act. The period was marked particularly by continuing violations of the final act by the Soviet Union and Poland.

SECURITY IN EUROPE: PRINCIPLES GUIDING RELATIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPATING STATES: CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES AND CERTAIN ASPECTS OF SECURITY AND DISARMAMENT." (BASKET I)

Principles

Principle VII is concerned with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

In Poland, martial law remained in force until 31 December, when it was suspended with authority to reimpose it should threats to public order occur. All but seven of those detained without trial were released, postal and telegraph communications were restored to normal and censorship of mail and telecommunications was lifted. Use of summary procedures and military courts was reduced. The Polish authorities have announced that a limited pardon may be introduced for 700 prisoners; several thousands, however, are believed still to be imprisoned for martial law offences.

Although they have suspended martial law, the Polish authorities have introduced a number of special measures regulating social, political and economic activity. By these, the right to strike and demonstrate has in principle been restored in so far as it is permitted by existing law; but strikes are in fact banned for 12 months by a new trade union law passed by Parliament in October 1982. Various regulations on employment have been introduced which considerably restrict the individual's choice and conditions of work. In addition, a number of amendments have been made to the criminal code strengthening the law against illegal publications.

Social organisations suspended under martial law have now been permitted to resume activity. All existing trade unions, however, including the free trade union Solidarity, were outlawed by the new trade union law. Her Majesty's Government have already made it clear that they particularly deplore this action.

In the Soviet Union, the Moscow Helsinki group, the most active of the unofficial groups set up to monitor compliance with the humanitarian provisions of the final act, announced its dissolution in September because of continued persecution. One of its last three members still at liberty, 75-year old Sofia Kalistratova, had been informed that she faced trial, on a charge of anti-Soviet slander. The group's founder, Yury Orlov, has been frequently disciplined while serving his labour-camp sentence, as has another founder-member, Anatoly Shcharansky, who went on hunger strike in September. The authorities have continued to repress unofficial groups of all kinds, including a group to establish trust betweem the USSR and the United States of America, one of whose members, Oleg Radzinsky, was arrested in October, while two associates evidently concerned with circulating the group's appeal for nuclear disarmament have also been arrested. Other arrests have included that, in August, of Zoya Krakhmalnikova, the editor of an unofficial Russian Orthodox spiritual journal, and those of many members of unregistered religious groups such as the Baptists, some 170 of whom are now awaiting trial or are serving sentences. Jewish and other activists also continue to be arrested: in November, the well-know refusenik, Iosif Begun, was arrested, while another refusenik, Felix Kochubievsky, received a two and a half-year sentence in December. The Soviet authorities also continue to harry academician Sakharov, from whom personal documents were stolen in October. The practice of resentencing dissidents who are about to be released continues, recent cases involving Valery Abramkin and Viktor Tolmachinsky in December. Jewish emigration in 1982 totalled around 2,700 compared with 9,500 in 1981 and 21,000 in 1980. The rate of German (1982: 2,100; 1981: 3,800) and Armenian (1982: 400; 1981: 2,500) emigration has also dropped.

In other eastern European countries there has been no significant improvement during the period under review.

Confidence and Security-Building Measures

A Warsaw Pact exercise designated "Shield '82" took place in Bulgaria and adjoining Black sea waters between 25 September and 1 October. The exercise and the total number of troops involved ("about 60,000") were notified in accordance with the act. But the information originally provided was incomplete in omitting details of which countries would participate, and the types of forces involved. Observers from other CSCE participating states were not invited.