§ Principle VII which is concerned with "respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief continues to be violated by the Soviet Union. Human rights activists continue to be persecuted and the resentencing of political prisoners who are nearing the end of their term of imprisonment has become a common practice. A new law, which came into force in October 1983, permits inmates of penal institutions to be punished for periods of up to 5 years' additional confinement for "maliciously disobeying" the administrations of such institutions.
§ Among those sentenced during the period under review were Sergei Grigoryants, sentenced (in October) to two years in prison, five in a strict regime camp and three in internal exile for his part in producing an official bulletin detailing repression; the Lithuanian priest Father S Tamkevicius, sentenced (in December) to six years in the camps and four in internal exile and Mikhail Rivkin, a member of a group of official Marxists sentenced (in July) to seven years' imprisonment plus five years' internal exile. Academician Andrei Sakharov continued to be attacked in the press and his sanity has been called into question by Soviet officials. Anatoly Shcharansky has finally been allowed a visit from his mother although communication with him by mail remains uncertain. Yuri Orlov continues to be harshly treated in the labour camp at Perm. The refusnik Iosif Begun was finally brought to trial in October and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and five years' internal exile.
§ Would-be emigrants and religious activists continue to be persecuted notably Jews, Germans and Armenians.
§ The formal lifting of martial law and the subsequent release of a large number of political prisoners has gone some way to alleviating the situation in Poland. But many restrictions continue in force for what is called the "period of overcoming the socio-economic crisis".
§ The amnesty introduced in Poland in July last year and applicable to offences committed during martial law led to the release of many political prisoners. According to the Minister of Justice the Bill has benefited about 3,000 political offenders and some 11,000 people sentenced for other types of crime. A number of dissidents however decided to continue their opposition and to remain underground. According to official sources 173 people remain in prison for political offences either awaiting trial or convicted. The practice of detaining political troublemakers before important events has continued.
§ The Human Rights Record of a number of Eastern European governments shows no improvement. In Czechoslovakia the former Charter '77 spokesman Ladislav Lis was brought to trial after seven months in detention and sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment. In 91W December Jiri Wolf was given a six year jail sentence for subversion. A number of people have been given suspended sentences for religious activities.
§ In the GDR some 30 members of the peace movement in Jena were expelled from the country, between May and August, and four members of the Women for Peace Group were arrested on 12 December, of whom two were detained.