[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 129 (Wednesday, November 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING OREST DEYCHAKIWSKY'S 25 YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION 
                 ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 2006

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to pay 
tribute to Orest Deychakiwsky for his 25 years of faithful service to 
the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki 
Commission. Orest began his work as a member of the professional staff 
on November 15, 1981, just six years after the signing of the Helsinki 
Final Act, a period marked by ruthless Soviet repression and widespread 
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
  Driven by a deep commitment to aid the victims of Communist 
oppression, Orest devoted himself to documenting the human rights 
cases, particularly those involving divided families, an especially 
poignant task given his own family's history under Soviet domination 
and repression. He was responsible for compiling and maintaining the 
lengthy lists of individuals seeking to emigrate from the Soviet Union 
and Romania. Each spring would bring an opportunity to secure the exit 
of some of the thousands effectively held hostage in Romania by the 
Ceausescu regime. Orest was faithful in making representations to the 
Romanian Embassy on behalf of all those seeking to exercise their right 
to leave their country. When Moscow began to accept emigration lists 
from the Commission in the mid-80s, Orest's diligent efforts on behalf 
of refuseniks began to pay off for families, including some with 
American spouses, who were finally allowed to leave the Soviet Union 
after a decade or more of waiting.
  With a passion for Ukraine, his familial homeland, Orest helped 
document modern Soviet repression in that country including 
imprisonment of human rights activists, suppression of Ukrainian 
culture and language as well as harsh actions against the Ukrainian 
Catholic Church. He was at the forefront of efforts in support of the 
restoration of Ukrainian independence and the consolidation of 
democracy in that country following the demise of the Soviet empire. 
Despite setbacks, Orest was optimistic that the people of Ukraine would 
insist on a democratic future for their country. On a cold November 
night in 2004, he witnessed firsthand their determination as he stood 
in Kiev's Independence Square where tens of thousands of Ukrainians 
gathered to protest fraudulent elections.
  Fifteen years earlier he had stood in the main square in Sofia, 
Bulgaria as peaceful demonstrators stood up to tyranny, ushering in the 
demise of Eastern Europe's longest standing dictatorship. In recent 
years, he has been active in confronting the repressive regime of 
Aleksandr Lukashenka in Belarus, Europe's last dictatorship.
  Mr. Speaker, in this year when we observe the thirtieth anniversary 
of the Helsinki Commission, as a long serving Commissioner and Co-
Chairman, I am pleased to recognize and commend Orest Deychakiwsky for 
his faithful service and tireless defense of human rights and dignity.

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