The Ukrainian Weekly 1985, No.20
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www.ukrweekly.com 1 і Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekly Vol. Llll No. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 19, 1985 25 cents Ukrainian Catholic minority faces U.S. delegation scores USSR religious discrimination in Poland tor violations of human rights FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - burned on March 12, 1984. by Mykhailo Bociurkiw Soviet Union. Three members who died Discrimination against the Ukrainian The chapel-burning incident brings in Soviet labor camps last year — Catholic (Uniate) minority has been to light long-standing conflicts between OTTAWA - Delegates at the 35- Oleksiy Tykhy. Yuriy Lytvyn and reported in the Polish town of Ostrow the Ukrainian Eastern-rite minority and state experts meeting on human rights Eduard Arutunyan - were singled out after a Ukrainian Catholic chapel was the Polish majority, antagonisms that turned this week to reviewing the in in the address. razed to allow easier access to a new persist despite a generally favorable human-rights records of signatories to The U.S. statement was one of the Latin rite church, reported Keston attitude toward the Uniates shown by the Helsinki Accords. few transcripts made available to News. Pope John Paul II. But while the over The U.S. delegation - led by members of the news media. Most of the The incident reportedly occurred in all situation of Ukrainian Catholics in Ambassador Richard Schifter — has sessions arc closed, and the public July 1983, ihree years after a new Latin Poland appears to be improving, local been the most outspoken participant to learns little about the track records of rite church was consecrated in the hostilities still exist, according to ^iate. On Wednesday. May 15, the some of the 35 countries. village, which is near Radymno in the Keston. ' United Stales delivered a major address Ambassador Schifter distributed the Percmyshl region of Poland bordering For example, Keston reports that out on Soviet bloc repression of freedom of 48-pagc transcript of his address and western Ukraine. The historically of the 480 theology students at the expression. briefed reporters hours before making Ukrainian area was given to Poland Catholic seminary in Peremyshl. 120 The U.S. statement scored the Soviet his afternoon presentation to the after World War II. are studying the Eastern rite. Local Union and other Warsaw Pact states for conference delegates. The Ukrainian Catholic chapel was Ukrainians claim that the local Latin violations of the right to freedom of The strong message was made just apparently destroyed because it rite authorities are trying to "Latinize" expression within their boundaries. one day after Soviet Foreign Minister hindered processions to the church. the Eastern rite Ukrainian Catholics, In its most bluntly worded statement Andrei Gromyko told U.S. Secretary of Ukrainian books found beneath the noting that none of the 120 students to date, the United States told the State George Shultz in Vienna that altar were burned. studying the Eastern rite is Ukrainian. Soviet Union that if it wants to reach an human-rights questions in the Soviet Keston also said that the priest's Moreover, Keston reports that local arms-reduction agreement it must take Union are no business of the United house near the chapel was also Ukrainian Catholic parishioners have steps to improve its human-rights States. demolished, and that an entire library of been unable to obtain permission from record. After delivering his address. Ukrainian books was found hidden Church authorities for a pilgrimage to Mr. Schifter`s address cited the Ambassador Schifter circulated the text behind a wall. The books were Rome in September 1985. names and cases of several members of of his address to delegates. He included reportedly taken outside the village and (Continued on page 14) Helsinki monitoring groups in the a 37-page annex which documented cases of violations of freedom of expression in the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Ukrainian lawyers detail methodological abuses of OSI The lengthy annex cited the names and cases'of 41 imprisoned members of JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The the investigations are initiated. source whose interest in the outcome is Helsinki monitoring groups in the Ukrainian American Bar Association Although "only federal law somewhat less than that of a USSR and Lithuania; seven imprisoned recently wrote a letter to Rep. Peter W. enforcement authorities can initiate disinterested party." peace activists: 11 imprisoned Soviet Rodino (D-N.J.) urging him to conduct dcnaturalization and/or deportation The second concern raised by the samizdat activists; six recent victims of oversight hearings on the manner in proceedings in the United States... a UABA addresses the generally held Soviet psychiatric abuse; 23 imprisoned which the U.S. Justice Department's number of these cases have been filed belief that the process by which Czechoslovak human-rights activists: Office of Special Investigation seeks out only after the Soviet Union... conducted evidence is obtained in the Soviet Union 35 sentenced political prisoners in and obtains Soviet evidence for use in its own investigations following which is conducted in accordance with Poland: and 54 Polish political dcnaturalization proceedings against the Soviet authorities... turned over American law. The UABA notes that in prisoners awaiting trial. alleged Nazi collaborators. Rep. purportedly factual information and the Kungys case. Judge Dickinson The U.S. delegation also circulated a Rodino is the chairman of the House documentation to the Justice Debevoise concluded that the three-page summary of repressive Committee on the Judiciary. Department." videotaped depositions taken in the changes in Soviet criminal and The letter, signed by Ihor Rakowsky, The letter continues: "Unfortunate Soviet Union would not be admitted as. administrative law. The U.S. releases chairman of the UABA Committee on ly, it is a fact that the Soviet Union evidence for the following reasons. also announced that: "Some of the new the Use of Soviet Evidence, and engages in purposeful disinformation provisions opened the door to a revival Michael Waris Jr., vice-president, was consisting of the twisting or embellish a The Soviet Union, which of Stalinist practices and reflected the written because "the manner in which ing or outright fabrication of facts and cooperated with the United States increase in KGB power and influence the OSI is obtaining evidence and the creation of forged documents. Such government by making witnesses under Andropov." conducting prosecutions is too fraught Soviet tactics have even been the subject available, has a strong interest in The Ottawa conference, a follow-up with violations of concepts of funda matter of congressional hearings of finding that Kungys participated in the to the 1975 Helsinki Conference on mental fairness and due process to which you must surely be aware. It is also killing of Jews in Lithuania. security and cooperation in Europe, is simply ignore." a fact that cases involving charges of a The Soviet legal system on occasion the first of its kind to deal exclusively It includes a quote from an April 2 war crimes are treated by Soviet distorts or fabricates evidence in cases with human rights. It is closed to the Washington Post interview with authorities as political cases and that such as this involving an important state media and the public at the Soviets' President Ronajd Reagan, in which the the Soviet Union has a compelling state interest. insistence. president said: "There has been a interest in seeing to it that defendants in a It is- impossible to determine Mr. Schifter told the Ottawa disinformation program that is virtually such cases are found guilty. whether testimonies were influenced conference that "agreements on arms worldwide, and we know that the "Indeed, the court in United States vs improperly by Soviet authorities reduction will take lime' but that the Soviets and the Cubans have such a Kungys specifically concluded that in because: a Soviet procurator presided Kremlin could end human-rights abuses disinformation network that is beyond such cases the Soviet Union uses special over the depositions: the translator, a "tomorrow morning or, if not then, anything that we can match."The letter procedures which, on occasion at least, Soviet employee, showed evidence of perhaps at the next session at the addresses four separate aspects of the result in false or distorted evidence in bias in his translations and the Politburo." He added. "No better OSI's use of Soviet-supplied evidence in order to achieve the result which the procurator limited cross-examination contribution could be made so quickly proceedings againt U.S. citivens state interest requires. In view of this, it into the witnesses' prior statements and to the cause of peace." . suspected of collaborating with thiT is a tenuous argument to maintain that dealings with Soviet authorities. U.S. sources said that Ambassador Germans during World War II. decisions by the OSI to initiate a The contents of the depositions Schiller's address prompted a long I he first issue raised by the UABA investigations and resulting prosecution suegest that the Soviet interrogators reply from Soviet Ambassador concerns the process by which some of occur in а чистіш without input from a (Continued on page 16) (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 19, 1985 : ; No. 20 Polish farmers call for revival of Rural Solidarity Chronicle of WARSAW - Hundreds of farmers orders." he said. from across Poland applauded calls for The farmers arrived by bus from as the Catholic Church the revival of their outlawed Rural far away as the northwest province of Solidarity union at a Roman Catholic Szczecin to attend the mass. Church in Ukraine mass on the fourth anniversary of the officials said the police stopped several union's birth on May 12.