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The Ukrainian Weekly 1987, No.12

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www.ukrweekly.com ЇЇ5Ьед by tht Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal non-profit association| Шrainian WeekI Y Vol. LV No. 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 1987 25 cent3 Releases labelled propaganda ploy Canada expands war criminals liunt by dissidents and rights monitors Nazi crifnes will not be sole focus JERSEY C1TY, NJ. - A number of He's trying to reduce that damage by Michael Bociurkiw any country, including areas of unrest in Soviet dissidents in the USSR and in without fundamentally changing the the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Central Western exile, as well as several Wes­ system," Mr. Schifter was quoted as OTTAWA - The Canadian govern­ America and Europe where these crimes tern human-rights monitors, have re­ saying in the March 16 issue of the ment's response to the report of a are being committed. cently voiced scepticism over the Soviet Monitor. commission of inquiry on war criminals Besides recommending the amend­ government's motives for the recent In contrast to what Mr. Schifter surprised many observers and commu­ ment of the Criminal Code to allow for releases of some 60 political prisoners labelled as "euphoria'' in Western nity leaders here because the govern­ Canadian trials of all suspected war from labor camps, prisons and exile. reaction to the releases, particularly in ment was not expected to expand the criminals, including Nazis, Judge Des­ Members of this group were allegedly the press and media, dissident sources in hunt for Nazi war criminals to all chenes, in the 1,000-page commission pardoned under two decrees of the Moscow reached by the HRC executive suspected war criminals from around report that was made public on March Presidium of the Supreme Soviet made director Christina 1sajiw in early March the world found living in Canada. 12, also recommended the following: in early February. reportedly said that "almost no one" has The government's decision to amend * streamlining of procedures for the The dissidents and human-rights heard of the releases in the Soviet Union the Criminal Code to prosecute not just revocation of Canadian citizenship and watchers all said they view the select because there has been virtually no accused Nazi war criminals was based deportation of suspected Nazi war releases not as a change in Soviet publicity. on a recommendation of Justice Jules criminals; human-rights policies as the Soviets 'T think that almost no one knows,"a Deschenes, the head of the one-man ^ the allocation of additional re­ have claimed, but strictly as propagan­ source told Ms. Isajiw. "There was a commission that spent 22 months sources to the Royal Canadian Mount­ da aimed at Western consumption. small news item about our release in determining how many war criminals ed Police and the Justice Department to Dissident sources in Moscow and Moskovski Novosti (Moscow News) - live in Canada, how they got here, and (Continued on page 5) contacted by the Human Rights Com­ it comes out in English, French. But this what can be done to bring them to mission of the Wor1d Congress of Free paper is little known here." justice. Ukrainians, an exiled dissident in The Moscow sources stated, echoing Ukrainian community observers Europe who now heads an international Mr. Schifter's sentiments, that the re­ hope the new law will make it possible rights monitoring group, and a human­ leases were indeed a propaganda move, for Canada to bring to trial Soviet war rights watcher in the U.S. State Depart­ also aimed at quieting the Western press criminals who killed Ukrainian patriots ment said they based their opinions upon and media which are interested mainly during the second wor1d war. The wider observing various contradictions and in specific cases of several well-known definition of war criminals under the inconsistencies in official Soviet be­ individual dissidents. They said there new law might also make it possible for havior. was evidence to that effect in the fact Ukrainians to petition the government Richard Schifter, assistant secretary of that Soviet authorities were releasing to demand extradition of perpetrators state for human rights and humanita­ prisoners from what they called "the of the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine. rian affairs, told the Christian Science (Continued on page 5) The suggestion to enlarge the net to Monitor last week that although the all war criminals was originally made by changes occurring in the Soviet Union representatives of the Ukrainian Cana­ were meaningful in his opinion, 'Ч More dissidents dian Committee, and was later popula­ would be concerned that there has been rized by Jewish groups and civil-rights too much euphoria in reaction to it." reported released advocates. He said that the changes in Soviet JERSEY C1TY, N.J. - Eight more The amendment to the Canadian behavior on human rights have indeed Soviet dissidents, including two pro­ Criminal Code would open the way for benefitted some individuals who have minent human-rights activists of the prosecution of persons suspected of war been released from prison, yet he 1970s, were released — three on March crimes or "crimes against humanity" in Justice Jules Deschenes suspects the releases signaled more of a 16 and five the week before, Elena concern for public opinion than an Bonner reportedly told Reuters on actual reconsideration of Soviet hu­ March 16. Ukrainians praise government response man-rights policies. Reuters reported later on March 19 'Ч think that (General Secretary that Sergei Khodorovich, former ma­ by Michael Bociurkiw ment's controversial Office of Spe­ Mikhail) Gorbachev is aware that the nager of the Solzhenitsyn fund to aid cial Investigations. Soviet Union has been damaged inter­ families of political prisoners, had OTTAWA - Members of Ca­ Wasyl Veryha, a spokesman for nationally by its human-rights policies. arrived in Moscow on March 18 after nada's Ukrainian community, res­ the Brotherhood of Veterans of the being freed from a work camp in the ponding to the release of the public 1st Division of the Ukrainian Na­ northern Siberian city of Norilsk. report of the Deschenes Commission tional Army, said all Ukrainians will be pleased that the government has At Demjanjuk trial: Among those freed the week of of Inquiry on War Crimes, said last week they are happy that the Cana­ decided against creating a unit March 9-15 were Ivan Kovalyov and similar to the OSI. Tatiana Osipova, a husband and wife dian government's response has rid investigator admits Although Judge Jules Deschenes who were serving 10-year sentences for them of the need to fight the esta­ said in his report that it isn't neces­ *'anti-Soviet agitation and propa­ blishment of a permanent Nazi-hunt­ leading witnesses sary to create such a unit in Canada, ganda" for playing a prominent role in ing unit in Canada. he did make it clear in his recom­ Special to Svoboda and The Weekly publicizing Soviet human-rights abuses. They also said the commission's mendations that the government has JERUSALEM - As the fifth week Both have been told they may emigrate, recommendations — and the federal the option of carrying out investiga­ of the John Demjanjuk trial came to a Ms. Bonner told the Reuters reporter government's response — mean they tions against suspected war criminals close, a former police investigator over the telephone. will no longer be regarded as har- by renewing the mandate of the admitted that she had mentioned the Mr. Kovalyov, 32, of Moscow was a borers of hundreds of Nazi war Deschenes Commission, or arming names of John Demjanjuk and Feodor member of the now-disbanded Moscow criminals. the Department of Justice and the Fedorenko to witnesses while ques­ Helsinki Monitoring Group. Ms. Osi­ The Ukrainian community, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted tioning them about the Treblinka and pova, 38, participated in the work of the most vocal East European group Police) with a full-time team of Sobibor camps and seeking photo Moscow Helsinki Group, circulating since the commission was established lawyers, histojians and police offi­ identifications of the two former Ameri­ samizdat and books published abroad. in February 1985, raised hundreds of cers. can citizens. The three apparently freed on March thousands of dollars to persuade Observers said either option would Presiding Judge Dov Levine asked 16 were Halyna Barats, the Ukrainian politicians and other Canadians to be similar to creating a Canadian­ Miriam Radiwker, 80, formerly of the Pentecostal (who The Weekly had steer clear of establishing a perma­ style OSI. Nazi crimes investigation unit of the earlier reported was released), Alexei nent Nazi-hunting agency in Canada, similar to the U.S. Justice Depart­ (Continued oapage 5) (Continued on page 16) (Continued on page 10) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 1987 No.12 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Newly freed dissident says releases are political maneuver The Koristivka collision; an analysis by Bohdan Faryma However, said Mr. Timofeyev, many by David R. Marples he was driving at an excessive speed, in political prisoners whose cases are very 1986 on the Odessa railroad, two NEW YORK - Last month's partial sensitive and who feel vulnerable to­ CONCLUSION "wrecks" occurred, 13 trains are known amnesty for Soviet political prisoners ward government abuses were fearful of to have run red signals, and there were must be seen as a political maneuver, being deceived and refused to write The comments of readers in the wake 30 collisions and near misses of moving says a Soviet dissenter freed as part of anything, even in the mildest form. of the Koristivka accident also high­ trains. the group. They are still imprisoned, he said. lighted some major concerns. One The quality of repair work is also said As long as the authorities do not "They have justly expected respect wrote of tiie degeneration of :lie 0ГіСе- to be extremely poor.
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