AN APPEAL FOR SOFIA KALISTRATOVA
Sofia VasiLievna Kalistratova, born September
19,
190 7, practiced lawJor
many years as a member oj the M oscow Bar. She served as difellse counselJo r dissidents
bifore she was deprived oj the right to participate in "political" trials. Now retired and
living in M oscow, she is a member oj the M oscow H elsinki Watch Group and contin–
ues to counsel Soviet citizells
Oil
their rights.
In
rece nt yea rs, I have more a nd more ofte n hea rd th e name Sofi a
Kalistra tova mentioned among those suffering persec uti on for the ir human
ri ghts ac ti vities. ow a third sea rch has bee n conducted.in the a pa rtment of
Mrs. Kalistratova .
The. reason I have no t spoke n out in her defe nse until now is purely
psyc hological: So fi a Ka li stra tova i so identified with "us" th a t speakin g for
her seems a lmos t like speakin g fa r myself. But in th e Sov ie t Union , three
sea rches a rc no la ughing ma lter .
Mrs. K a li stra tova saved mo re th a n one life from ruin . And her human
sympa th y was as impo rta nt as her' professional competence whe n she met
with her clie nts a fte r they had spent months und er inves ti ga ti on , isola ted in
a prison ce ll.
I have kn own Mrs. Kali stra tova persona ll y fa r mo re th a n a decade.
She has volunt a ril y a sumed a n added burden in recent yea rs; she has
ass isted me in my correspondence with persons as kin g fa r legal advice who
have despa ired of fin d ing justice elsewhere. Old people depri ved of pen–
sions or she lte r . Prisoners unju stl y convi cted through judicia l erro r or pre–
judice o r spmetimes on the bas is of the ir own confess ions ex torted by phys i–
cal bea tings or simpl y by fea r. Persons fired from th eir j obs without due
process. And o ther victims of injusti ce.
Mrs. Ka li stratova brought to thi s pa insta kin g wo rk compass ion , tac t
a nd experie nce. I brought her whole sac ks full of letters. H er tiles on the e
cases we re taken from h('l' toge the r with oth er docume nt s conce rning her
law ful public ac ti vity .
I call upon membe rs of the lega l profess ion a nd hones t people eve ry–
where to speak out in de fe nse of a remark abl e woma n who has done a nd is
doing so much fa r o th ers in th e name of justi ce a nd goodness.
Translatl'd
by
Kh ronika Prl'ss.
Andrei Sa kha rov
Gorky
Feb rua ry 24, 1982
