European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Best soviet capitalists Are still called convicts by Gregory Gransden United press International last year Boris Sitnikov a manager in the Northern siberian City of Yakut a was sentenced to eight years in prison. His crime he bought Concrete  a state owned company without a receipt. In 1986, Pavel Bulov a truck Driver from the Southern russian City of Ulyanovsk was sentenced to 12 years in prison. His crime moonlighting for which he had earned about $45. In 1985, Anatoly Dyakova a Moscow worker Drew a six year term for privately producing and Selling children s stick on cartoon character decals. Each crime involves an activity that the soviet government is now ostensibly trying to encourage private Enterprise. The three men were convicted under Laws introduced under soviet leaders Josef Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev. These Laws Are now anachronistic in the pos communist soviet Union where the private sector is playing an Ever increasing role in the Economy. But they still exist on paper. And Sitnikov Bulov and Dyakova along with hundreds and perhaps thousands of others like them still languish in soviet prisons. Quot How can we talk about the transition to a Market Economy when at the same time the persecution of entrepreneurs continues Quot asks Victor Oskirko Leader of the society for the defense of convicted businessmen and economic freedoms which has been lobbying the russian government to update its  action Lin making donations to romanian hospitals a i read an article. Hull on meth. About Romania s hospitals the article moved me and i would like to know if there is something i can do to help monetarily or writing for further it Kimation it possible let me know what i can do Toni Cenky Kaiserslautern Germany of Tim Cahill stars and stripes new York office replies most of the romanian Relief is directed toward the orphan population the following two organizations prisoners Are marched Down a Leningrad now St. Petersburg Street on a work detail. A amps Ken Georg the group s efforts have borne some fruit. President Mikhail Gorbachev s advisory Council on entrepreneurship has recommended to the soviet Leader that a Broad amnesty be declared for All imprisoned entrepreneurs. Also the current session of the russian parliament which runs until december is expected to Grant amnesty to people convicted of engaging in private Enterprise or working As commercial middlemen. Despite six years of economic Reform those activities Are still technically criminal in the russian Republic and Are punishable by up to 10 years in prison under article 153 of its criminal code. The russian legislator who is preparing the amnesty says it is time to change the Law and some of the economic provisions of the criminal code Are Likely to be revised soon. Quot Given the current political situation Given the changes in the Economy article 153 should be abolished Quot said Anatoli Kononov Deputy head of the parliaments human rights committee. Kononov said he did not know How Many people would be Given amnesty but estimates Range anywhere Between hundreds and 127,000. Whatever the number relatively few soviet entrepreneurs were actually convicted under article 153 a As few As 1 percent of the total Oskirko says. In most cases involving private Enterprise Oskirko said soviet prosecutors did not actually invoke article 153 but charged entrepreneurs with such crimes As speculation buying cheap and Selling dear bribery and theft of state property All of which carry considerably harsher penalties. Theft of state property for instance can be punished by the death penalty in severe cases. Either directly or indirectly Deal with the situation described in the Story. Readers can Send donations to the american red Cross romanian Relief . Box 37243 Washington d c 20013 the red Cross is involved in training and recruitment programs designed to improve health care generally in Romania. One of their target areas is the care provided in hospitals like those described by the a reporter or donations can go to world vision handicapped services project 919 West Huntington or Stop 912 Monrovia Calif 91016 despite the generic sounding name handicapped bribery and theft of state property also were ambiguously defined to cover almost any kind of unusual commercial transaction often enabling courts to convict Many entrepreneurs of those crimes regardless of guilt Oskirko said. The experience of 41-year old Vladimir Goldshtein is a Case in Point. He spent 11 years at hard labor after being convicted of theft of state property in the ukrainian City of Dnepropetrovsk. His offence was to Start a Small private business that recycled waste from a local pharmaceutical Plant into Industrial solvent which he then sold through local shops. Goldshtein whose Case was taken up by three . Congressmen and Western jewish groups was freed in August after Oskirko s group appealed. Quot we be been vindicated Quot Goldshtein said. Quot All that we suffered for a Commerce i mean a has been firmly established in soviet society Quot so far 10 people have been freed in the past two years. One was a St. Petersburg Man who the society says got a nine year term for Selling two pairs of sneakers to a neighbor at a Small profit. Another a Baku entrepreneur was pardoned after the society appealed to azerbaijani president Ayaz my Tabulov. The society is working on appeals in another 108 cases but the Legal complexity of the cases makes them difficult to dramatize publicly. Oskirko s position is also contentious to some russian legislators because his estimates assume that most people convicted of bribery or theft of state property Are in fact wrongly convicted entrepreneurs. Kononov disputes that notion. Quot Many convicts really Are guilty of theft. We can t Pardon the real  services project is an Aid Effort directed specifically toward Romania. World vision has a comprehensive romanian Relief program in place at present. They have already targeted one such Quot irrecoverable Quot Hospital for Reform and have two More earmarked for Aid in 1992.to write us readers action line is the readers a court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. A letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page ,16 a the stars and stripes wednesday november 20, 1991