October 18, 2005 – New York – The American Jewish Committee mourns the death of Alexander Yakovlev, the man who was instrumental in developing the policies of glasnost and perestroika that led to the downfall of the communist regime in the Soviet Union.

“Alexander Yakovlev stands out among those rare individuals who recognized the opportunity to change history and seized the day,” said David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee

Added Sergey Lagodinsky, assistant director of AJC's Berlin office and himself originally from the Soviet Union, ”This is a sad day. Jews from the Soviet Union will never forget the role that he played in opening up the country, dismantling the communist structure and defending the rights of Jews and other minorities.”

AJC leaders most recently met with Yakovlev during a visit to Moscow in July. Addressing the AJC delegation at a dinner, Yakovlev was outspoken and passionate as he denounced anti-Semitism and defended human rights and democratic values. The AJC group paid tribute at the time to his political and moral courage and his longstanding friendship to the Jewish people.