Abuse of human rights

Question 1

What did the Helsinki Accords (1975) commit the USSR to guarantee?

Answer 1

Freedom of speech, protest and movement

Question 2

What did the Soviet leadership calculate?

Answer 2

That they could contain the human rights issues within the Eastern Bloc

Question 3

What did the Helsinki Accords encourage?

Answer 3

Russian and East European dissidents to condemn human rights abuses in the Soviet Bloc

Question 4

Which groups were established to monitor Soviet compliance with the Helsinki Accords?

Answer 4

Helsinki Watch committees

Charter 77

Question 5

What did the Helsinki agreement on human rights give the West?

Answer 5

A powerful ideological and moral weapon to use against communism

Question 6

Why did communist leaders largely ignore the Helsinki human rights provisions?

Answer 6

They feared that greater freedom would undermine Marxist-Leninism and the Soviet Bloc

Question 7

What happened to Soviet and East European dissidents?

Answer 7

Imprisoned, harassed or exiled
Sent to labour camps
Declared insane, drugged and confined to mental institutions

Question 8

What were many Soviet Jews (known as refuseniks) denied the rights to do?

Answer 8

Emigrate to Israel of the USA