Refusenik Lerner Arrives in Vienna

Alexander Lerner, a prominent Jewish dissident, arrived Sunday from Moscow and was reunited with his daughter after a 16-year battle to emigrate.

“It’s the happiest day of my life, but my spirit is spoiled by the fact that many of my friends have not joined us,” said Lerner, a 74-year-old cybernetics engineer, referring to other refuseniks, or those refused permission to emigrate.

“Nice to see you after such a long time,” he told his daughter, Sonia Levin, who came from Israel to greet her father at Schwechat airport.

The two embraced warmly on their first meeting in 14 years.

Accompanying Lerner was his son, Vladimir, an engineer, his daughter-in-law and a 2-year-old granddaughter, Julia, who were also allowed to emigrate. Lerner’s wife died in 1981. The Lerners said they will leave for Israel on Wednesday.

Lerner, who first applied for emigration in 1972, said Soviet passport officials notified him last Dec. 21 he had permission to leave.

“This is due to (Soviet leader Mikhail S.) Gorbachev’s more tolerant and relaxed policy,” Lerner said in English.

Lerner was one of the leaders of the refusenik community and one of the best-known figures remaining after the Soviets moved last fall to clear up longstanding emigration cases.