Events in Estonia, November 1979-March 1980 (56.17)

<<No. 56 : 30 April 1980>>

ARRESTS

The Arrest of Juri Kukk (13 March 1980)

At the end of the 1950s Juri KUKK graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry at Tartu University and then went on to post-graduate studies. Kukk is a Doctor of Chemistry and an assistant professor; he used to work as a lecturer in the Chemistry Faculty of Tartu University.

Juri Kukk, 1940-1981: memorial plaque

In 1966 Kukk joined the CPSU and was a member of the Party bureau. In 1975-1976 he was in Paris on a working visit. After he returned from abroad, Kukk announced in 1978 his resignation from the Party. After many threats and a forcible examination by a psychiatrist, he was dismissed from his job as “unsuitable for the post he occupies”, Kukk demanded that the authorities should either recognize him as being unemployed or give him and his family the opportunity to emigrate from the USSR.

In January 1980, Kukk signed a protest by a group of Baltic human rights activists against the invasion of Afghanistan. At the end of January Kukk handed his protest to foreign journalists in Moscow. On 30 January he was detained and expelled from the capital.

On 13 March 1980, Kukk was arrested. He has been charged under Article 194-1 (Estonian Criminal Code = Article 190-1 of the RSFSR Code).

The Arrest of Mart Niklus (28 April 1980)

On 13 November 1979, former political prisoner Mart NIKLUS [¹], a resident of Tartu, was dismissed from his job. On 21 December his home was searched in connection with ‘Lithuanian’ Case 58 (CCE 54.1-1, CCE 55.6).

On 2 January 1980, the ornithologist Genrikh Veroman was summoned to KGB headquarters for ‘a chat’. KGB Captain Ervin Nilender was interested in Niklus’s part in compiling the collective letter on the fortieth anniversary of the Soviet-German Pact (CCE 54.18). Nilender promised to “hide Niklus away in a safe place”.

On 11 March Niklus was ‘taken off’ a train bound for Moscow: a KGB official from Tartu, Anti Talur, entered his compartment, grabbed Niklus’s bag, jumped out on to the platform and started to run away. Niklus chased after him; at this point the train began to move, taking the rest of his belongings with it. Niklus was then detained and shown a search warrant signed by KGB Captain Katalikov, who was in charge of Tatyana Velikanova‘s case. Niklus refused to let the KGB men into his house and they contented themselves with searching him personally and not trying to break into the house by force. They did not confiscate anything.

On 19 March 1980, Niklus was jailed for 13 days, for “resisting the authorities”.

After his release from the Preliminary Detention Cells, he was taken to hospital; his stay in the cell had brought on a severe attack of sciatica. On 27 April Niklus was discharged from the hospital. The next day, 28 April 1980, he was arrested.

According to early information Niklus has been charged under Article 194-1 (Estonian Criminal Code = Article 190-1, RSFSR Code).

On 27 March 1980, a group of Estonians and Russians living in Estonia sent a letter to the Presidium of the Estonian Supreme Soviet, protesting at the arrest of Juri Kukk and Mart Niklus. The letter was signed by 21 people.

Estonian Samizdat

The publication “Additional Material on the Free Circulation of Ideas & Information in Estonia“, (CCE 52.17 [16], CCE 54.24 [18]) is continuing to appear.

Issue No. 4 (1979) includes information on the KGB campaign against the fortnightly samizdat Saturday newspaper Poolpevaleht (CCE 52.17), particularly the official warnings issued to Jaan Isotami, Victor Niitsoo (CCE 53.29), Hubert Jakobs (CCE 53.29) and Matti Milius.

It also reports the case of Teet Papson (CCE 54.22) and the dismissal of secondary schoolteacher Helga Rivis because her pupils had compiled a literary almanac of their own.

Issue No. 6 (1980) carries reports about the following:

a public meeting at Tartu Cemetery (CCE 55.9);
an open letter from Estonians, Lithuanians and Latvians concerning the Soviet armed invasion of Afghanistan;
a protest against the exile of Sakharov;
declarations by Mart Niklus and Juri Kukk;
information on the expulsion from Tartu University of the religious student lllar Halliste (in his third year in the Faculty of Law); and
details of the trial of Papson and A. Enehielm (CCE 54.22).