Reports have reached the West that Vasyl Stus, 46, a prominent Ukrainian political prisoner and poet, is critically ill with neuritis. He is running a constant temperature and experiencing chronic pain in his arms and legs. Already in 1984, Vasyl Stus was so seriously ill that he had written a farewell letter to his wife.
Vasyl Stus was arrested in May 1980 and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a strict regime labour camp and 5 years’ internal exile. He is presently reported to be in labour camp No. 36-1 in Perm, where the medical facilities, indispensable to one so seriously ill, are minimal. Despite his poor health, Vasyl Stus is forced to perform strenuous physical labour. He was recently denied a visit from his family, whom he has not seen in 4 years, apparently because he refused to conduct his conversations in Russian.
Other sources state that before his arrest in 1980, Stus was offered a teaching post at La Salle University in Philadelphia (USA). The offer was made by the President of La Salle, Brother Patrick Ellis, FSC, and Stus accepted by sending a telegram. However, subsequent repressions by the Soviet Russian authorities negated all these plans.
We appeal to Ukrainian compatriots and the people of the Free World to stand up in defence of Vasyl Stus, who is dying in a Russian prison camp, and prevent the death of another prominent Ukrainian political prisoner.
Vasyl Stus was born on 8 January 1938. He is a poet, publicist and literary critic by profession. In 1964, he entered post-graduate studies at the Institute of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, after completing his studies at the Donetsk Institute of Pedagogy.
In September 1965, Stus was expelled from his second post-graduate course at the Institute of Literature for his active participation in a protest meeting in defence of repressed Ukrainian writers and cultural activists. Simultaneously, his collection of poetry was reprinted by the publisher.
In June 1966, Stus was relieved of his post as senior academic assistant at the State Historic Archive. He had to seek employment on a building site.
From 1965 to 1968, Stus sent out protest letters to high-ranking members of the CPU and CPSU, as well as the editorial boards of various magazines and newspapers, in which he protested against the repression and persecution of Ukrainian cultural activists and literary figures.
In 1969, he exposed Russian chauvinist reaction and terror in Ukraine and stood up in defence of Ivan Dzyuba. In 1970, he stood up in defence of Valentyn Moroz. On 12 January 1972, the KGB searched Stus’ apartment in Kyiv and on 13 January 1972, Vasyl Stus was arrested. On 14 January 1972, the KGB carried out another search of his apartment. All his poems, articles and other materials, as well as all his books, were confiscated. On 7 September 1972, the Regional Court of Kyiv sentenced Stus to 5 years imprisonment of strict regime and 3 years of exile, in a closed trial.
He was accused of Ukrainian nationalism because of all his literary work, oral statements and various forms of protest against the Russian repression of Ukrainian national and human rights, as well as his constant use of the Ukrainian language on every occasion.
Vasyl Stus was released in 1979. However, soon after his release, he was re-arrested on 14 May 1980, and sentenced under Art. 62 of the Criminal Code of the Ukr.SSR, to 10 years imprisonment, of strict regime and 5 years’ exile.
Vasyl Stus is presently gravely ill. He is deprived of badly needed medical attention and facilities.
Ukrainian Central Information Service
Архів ОУН. - Бібліотека. - Неперіодичні видання. - ABN Correspondence. - 1985. - #3-4. - C. 57-58
