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7858 Hon. Sam Graves Hon. Paul E. Gillmor

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7858 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 152, Pt. 6 May 10, 2006 No. 37, located in the shadows of the Ural over the small band of idealists who pressed seph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Mountains. There were three camps in the their leaders to live up to the promises made Scholars, studied hydrodynamics at a West- Perm labor camp complex that had been set at Helsinki. With only three members at liberty minster College summer camp, and partici- up specifically in 1972 for political prisoners and those under intense KGB pressure, the pated in the Students in Academically Gifted and others whom Moscow considered ‘‘espe- Moscow Helsinki Group was forced to sus- Education program through the North Kansas cially dangerous.’’ Fortunately, by the time of pend its activities. By 1986, only one member City School District. our visit many of the incarcerated had been of the group, Naum Meiman, continued to Jared has already enlisted into the United released and by 1991 the camp had emptied meet with foreign visitors and Western cor- States Army Reserves as a Civil Affairs Spe- out completely in the closing chapter of the respondents. Meiman’s wife, Irina, died of cialist. Upon graduating from North Kansas USSR. As Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Com- brain cancer after waiting years for Soviet au- City High School in May of 2006, Jared will mission, I can vividly recall that glimpse into thorities to give her permission to leave the enter boot camp in June of 2006 and then life in the Soviet GULag, both a memorable Soviet Union for specialized treatment abroad, defer his active duty status until he completes and sobering experience. a reminder of the personal costs to human his college studies. He has been accepted to I mention that trip because Friday of this rights activists and their families under a cruel Missouri Western State University and plans week, May 12, will mark the 30th anniversary regime. to major in History and participate in the Re- of the founding of the Moscow Helsinki Group, But the Helsinki spirit lived on. In the West, serve Officer Training Corps program. a leading human rights organization devoted supporters and sympathizers demonstrated on Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in to monitoring the Kremlin’s adherence to the behalf on imprisoned Helsinki Monitors. The recognizing Jared Goede, an outstanding stu- Helsinki Final Act of 1975. The Helsinki Final cases of imprisoned or exiled Helsinki Mon- dent from Kansas City, Missouri. His commit- Act was signed by the United States, Canada itors were often raised at diplomatic meetings ment to the community and desire to serve his and thirty-three European countries, including between the United States and the Soviet au- country should be commended. I would like to the Soviet Union. While much of this docu- thorities. In the Soviet Union itself, enlightened express my gratitude to him for his achieve- ment was focused on military security, eco- leaders began to understand that repressive ments and I am honored to represent him in nomics and trade, there were important provi- governments may squelch the voices of dis- the United States Congress. sions on human rights and humanitarian senters for a time, but their message will f issues, such as freedom of conscience and heard by other means. IN SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF family reunification, which the Soviet Govern- And on February 14, 1987, less than 5 DEBORAH J. ALMY ON HER AP- ment and the other signatories promised to years after the Moscow Helsinki group was POINTMENT TO ATTEND THE uphold. forced to suspend its activities, a small item in UNITED STATES MILITARY At a May 12, 1976, Moscow press con- ‘‘Izvestiya’’ announced the possibility of certain ACADEMY AT WEST POINT ference organized by Nobel Peace Prize Lau- prisoners being released from labor camp. It reate Dr. Andrei Sakharov, the Moscow Hel- was the beginning of the end for the repres- HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR sinki Group announced that it would collect in- sive Soviet system. OF OHIO formation and publish reports on implementa- In July 1989, the Moscow Helsinki Group IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tion of the Helsinki Accords by the Soviet Gov- was reestablished by several longtime human ernment. The initiator of this effort was Dr. rights activists: Larisa Bogoraz, Sergey Wednesday, May 10, 2006 Yuri Orlov, a physicist who had already been Kovalev, Viatcheslav Bakhmin, Alexey Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, it is my great repressed by the Kremlin and the KGB for his Smirnov, Lev Timofeev, and Boris Zolotukhin. pleasure to pay special tribute to an out- human rights activism. Orlov was joined by ten Today, Ludmilla Alexeyeva, who had been ex- standing young woman from Ohio’s Fifth Con- other founding members; with time others iled to the United States by Soviet authorities gressional District. I am happy to announce joined in the group. for her earlier work, now chairs this respected that Deborah J. Almy of Tiffin, Ohio has been As might be expected, the Soviet Govern- organization. offered an appointment to attend the United ment did not welcome this initiative. Members Mr. Speaker, 30 years after its founding and States Military Academy at West Point, New were threatened by the KGB, imprisoned, ex- 15 years after the collapse of the Soviet York. iled or forced to emigrate. The Soviet press Union, the re-established Moscow Helsinki Deborah’s offer of appointment poises her went into full-scale attack mode, accusing the Group remains active in speaking out in de- to attend the United States Military Academy Moscow Helsinki Group of being subversive fense of human rights, civil society, and rule of this fall with the incoming cadet class of 2010. and charging that some members were on the law in Russia. I congratulate the members of Attending one of our nation’s military acad- payroll of foreign intelligence services. I might the Moscow Helsinki Group for their achieve- emies is an invaluable experience that offers mention that a thinly veiled version of this ca- ments in the past and pledge my support for a world-class education and demands the very nard against the group was recently resur- their vital ongoing work. best that these young men and women have rected by a representative of the KGB’s suc- f to offer. cessor, the FSB, on national television. Deborah brings an enormous amount of Arrests of members of the Moscow Group RECOGNIZING JARED GOEDE leadership, service, and dedication to the in- began within a year of its founding. In 1978, coming class of West Point cadets. While at- Dr. Orlov himself was sentenced to 7 years HON. SAM GRAVES tending Tiffin Columbian High School in Tiffin, labor camp and 5 years internal exile. In 1986, OF MISSOURI Ohio, Deborah has attained a grade point av- he was brought back to Moscow, put on a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES erage which places her near the top of her plane and deported to the United States in ex- class. While a gifted athlete, Deborah has Wednesday, May 10, 2006 change for a Soviet spy. Other Moscow Hel- maintained the highest standards of excel- sinki Group members found themselves at the Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to lence in her academics, choosing to enroll and notorious Perm Labor Camp complex that I recognize Jared Goede of Kansas City, Mis- excel in Advanced Placement classes through- mentioned earlier. For his criticism of the 1979 souri. Jared will be honored with the Billy out high school. Deborah has been a member Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Dr. Sakharov Mitchell Award and Second Lieutenant Bars of the Honor Roll, the High School Choir and was exiled to the closed city of Gorky begin- as a member of the Platte Valley Civil Air Pa- has earned awards and accolades as a schol- ning in January 1980. His wife and Moscow trol. He has been a member of the Civil Air ar and an athlete. Helsinki Group member, Dr. Elena Bonner, Patrol since 2004 and has been involved in Outside the classroom, Deborah has distin- joined him there in 1984 after having been the color guard since 2005. guished herself as an excellent student-athlete convicted of ‘‘anti-Soviet agitation and propa- As a member of the community, Jared has by earning letters in both varsity soccer and ganda.’’ Founding member Anatoly Marchenko been active in 4–H, the North Kansas City basketball. She has also remained involved in died while on a hunger strike at Chistopol High School Scholar Bowl Team, the Amer- her community by serving as a teacher’s aide Prison in December 1986, ican Heartland Theatre, and his church. Addi- and as a volunteer for her Church’s nursery. By the end of 1982, less than 7 years after tionally, he has pursued many academic ac- I have no doubt that Deborah will employ the the group’s founding, it appeared that the KGB tivities outside of his regular schoolwork. He lessons of her student leadership as she ex- and the Soviet Government had triumphed has studied at Truman State University’s Jo- cels among the leaders at West Point. VerDate Sep 11 2014 13:20 Mar 20, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00340 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR10MY06.DAT BR10MY06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE.
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