Malva Landa Pleads For Shabatura, Svitlychny (12/26/76)

Malva Landa Pleads For Shabatura, Svitlychny

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Malva Landa, well-known Russian human rights advocate, authored letters in defense of Stephania Shabatura and Ivan Svitlychny in October and November of this year, according to the press service of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council (abroad). The letters, circulated by the "samvydav" in the Soviet Union, recently made their way abroad.

The letter in defense of Shabatura, who is presently incarcerated in a Mordovian camp (Mordovian ASSR, st. Potma, pos. Barashevo, uchr. Zh Kh - 385/3-4), was addressed to "Artists, People of good will, Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Commission."

It cited the mistreatment of Shabatura by the KGB and their destruction of her art - over 150 drawings and 70 ex librises.

The letter states: "Because Stephania Shabatura refuses to do humiliating forced work, she is systematically and severely punished, tortured."

"The only motive for destruction of the ex librises", wrote Landa, "was that they were dedicated to political prisoners, present and past. Many of them were dedicated to persons who had never sat in a prison cell, many were dedicated to children - these too, were destroyed".

Landa appealed on Svitlychny's behalf to Amnesty International, to writers and to the International Red Cross. Svitlychny is suffering from cerebral hypertonia with angiospasms, she said. He is forced to work on the press at the Perm camp where he is incarcerated (Perm Oblast, Chusov raion, pos. Vsesviatskoie, uchr. V S - 389/35.).

The work is hazardous to his health - there is constant noise, uninterrupted concentration is necessary.

"I. Svitlychny can not, that is he is physically unfit, to do the work that is required of him. For not completing his work, or refusing to work, he is threatened with inhuman punishment - tortures and ultimately transfer to the Vladimir prison," wrote Landa.

Landa called on citizens of the world to speak out in defense of Shabatura and Svitlychny.

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