NAMES IN THE NEWS : Soviet Pair Asks Bulgaria Haven
SOFIA, Bulgaria — In the first case of its kind, a Soviet couple have applied for political asylum in Bulgaria, once Moscow’s most trusted ally, the Socialist (former Communist) Party newspaper Douna reported today.
It said German Djulaev and Julia Tanashtuk, from Krasnodar near the Black Sea, applied to the Bulgarian Grand National Assembly (parliament) for asylum.
The paper reported that the couple cited “personal reasons of a political character,” but gave no further details.
Douna said the couple, visiting Bulgaria as part of a Soviet tour group, had tried to enter Greece but were barred from crossing the border because they did not have necessary documents.
The remainder of their tour group returned to the Soviet Union, the paper added.
The couple were quoted as saying that if granted asylum they hope to bring out their 1-year-old child left behind in the Soviet Union.
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