News In Brief

August 15, 1984

Ex-official from Estonia seeks Swedish asylum

A former official of Estonia's Justice Ministry, Valdo Randpere, and his wife have reportedly defected from the Soviet republic and requested political asylum in Sweden.

Mr. Randpere's wife, Leila Miller, is a well-known singer in Estonia.

The reason for their defection was a new drive by the Soviet authorities against all manifestations of nationalism in Estonia.