Principles

Principle VII is concerned with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

In Poland, martial law remained in force until 31st December, when it was suspended with authority to reimpose it should threats to public order occur. All but seven of those detained without trial were released, postal and telegraph communications were restored to normal, and censorship of mail and telecommunications was lifted. Use of summary procedures and military courts was reduced. The Polish authorities have announced that a limited pardon may be introduced for 700 prisoners; several thousands, however, are believed still to be imprisoned for martial law offences.

Although they have suspended martial law, the Polish authorities have introduced a number of special measures regulating social, political and economic activity. By these, the right to strike and demonstrate has in principle been restored in so far as it is permitted by existing law; but strikes are in fact banned for twelve months by a new trade union law passed by Parliament in October 1982. Various regulations on employment have been introduced which considerably restrict the individual's choice and conditions of work. In addition, a number of amendments have been made to the criminal code strengthening the law against illegal publications.

Social organisations suspended under martial law have now been permitted to resume activity. All existing trade unions, however, including the free trade union Solidarity, were outlawed by the new trade union law. Her Majesty's Government have already made it clear that they particularly deplore this action.

In the Soviet Union, the Moscow Helsinki Group, the most active of the unofficial groups set up to monitor compliance with the humanitarian provisions of the Final Act, announced its dissolution in September because of continued persecution. One of its last three members still at liberty, 75-year-old Sofia Kalistratova, had been informed that she faced trial, on a charge of anti-Soviet slander. The Group's founder, Yury Orlov, has been frequently disciplined while serving his labour-camp sentence, as has another founder-member, Anatoly Shcharansky, who went on hunger strike in September.

The authorities have continued to repress unofficial groups of all kinds, including a group to establish trust between the USSR and the United States of America, one of whose members, Oleg Radzinsky, was arrested in October, while two associates evidently concerned with circulating the group's appeal for nuclear disarmament have also been arrested. Other arrests have included that, in August, of Zoya Krakhmalnikova, the editor of an unofficial Russian Orthodox spiritual journal, and those of many members of unregistered religious groups such as the Baptists, some 170 of whom are now awaiting trial or are serving sentences. Jewish and other activists also continue to be arrested: in November, the well-known refusenik, Iosif Begun, was arrested, while another refusenik, Felix Kochubievsky, received a 2½ year sentence in December. The Soviet authorities also continue to harry Academician Sakharov, from whom personal documents were stolen in October. The practice of resentencing dissidents who are about to be released continues, recent cases involving Valery Abramkin and Viktor Tolmachinsky in December. Jewish emigration in 1982 totalled around 2,700 compared with 9,500 in 1981 and 21,000 in 1980. The rate of German (1982: 2,100: 1981: 3,800) and Armenian (1982: 400; 1981: 2,500) emigration has also dropped.

In other Eastern European countries there has been no significant improvement during the period under review.

Confidence and Security-Building Measures

A Warsaw Pact exercise designated 'Shield '82' took place in Bulgaria and adjoining Black Sea Waters between 25th September and 1st October. The exercise and the total number of troops involved ("about 60,000") were notified in accordance with the Act. But the information originally provided was incomplete in omitting details of which countries would participate, and the types of forces involved. Observers from other CSCE participating states were not invited.

There was no improvement in Soviet and East European compliance with provisions relating to business working conditions and economic information. Resident businessmen in Moscow and elsewhere continued to face difficulties over their working and living conditions. The severe reduction in direct dialling telephone links to and from the Soviet Union further inhibited commercial contacts, including contacts with parent offices.

Economic statistics are published only selectively. The Soviet Union continue to omit some important items (eg, data on grain harvests); the German Democratic Republic publishes little economic information; while Poland has announced measures which could lead to a more restrictive reporting system.

Soviet and East European performance has been very poor in the fields of human contacts and information. Administrative delays and refusals continue to hamper attempts by citizens to visit or join relatives in the West. A Romanian decree published on 6th November requires Romanians who wish to emigrate to repay in hard currency the cost of their education and medical expenses, and all taxes in hard currency from the date of their application to emigrate. The continued jamming of BBC Russian and Polish language broadcasts by the Soviet Union and new Soviet restrictions on the export of books contrast with the commitment under the Final Act to facilitate the freer and wider dissemination of information of all kinds. The reduction in the number of direct dialling telephone links with the Soviet Union also adversely affected contacts and communications between journalists and the organisations they represent, as well, of course, as contacts between private individuals.