MOSCOW : Human Rights Test

Former Soviet dissidents, religious leaders and others active in human rights plan two days of round-table discussions in Moscow late this week to grade Kremlin progress in respecting individual freedoms.

The main question before the meetings is whether the Soviet Union has made enough progress on human rights to justify its hosting the next Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe review session, scheduled to take place in Moscow next September.

“If this is just to try to show the West that all is fine here now, then it should not take place,” said Roman Gefter of the Soviet Public Council on Entry, Exit and Other Human Rights. “Many human rights problems have not yet been solved,” Gefter added. “We don’t even have a new law on emigration yet.”