Bulgarian War Crimes Proceedings

[David Thompson]

Does anyone have any information on these proceedings:

72 Bulgarians sentenced to death by Karnobat People's Court; 31 more by the Vidin People's Court; all 103 executed; announced 22 Feb 1945. (NYT 23 Feb 1945:4:8)
60 Bulgarians sentenced to death 4 Mar 1945 by Novo Seltai People's Court; 39 get jail terms; 13 acquitted; 54 persons await trial by Pirdop People's Court; 109 in Bargovishte. (NYT 6 Mar 1945:5:6)
50 Bulgarian traitors sentenced to death 12 Mar 1945 at Novo Selo. (NYT 13 Mar 1945:8:5)
30 Bulgarian Army officers sentenced to death; 83 to jail 15 Mar 1945 by Bulgarian People's Court at Sofia. (NYT 17 Mar 1945:4:4)
16 Bulgarians sentenced to death 4 Apr 1945; 70 others get prison terms. (NYT 6 Apr 1945:6:3)
17 Bulgarian army officers sentenced to death; 17 to imprisonment; 32 acquitted at Sofia 21 Apr 1945. (NYT 24 Apr 1945:5 & 6)
1,986 Axis war criminals executed to date in Bulgaria; 3,064 imprisoned. (NYT 14 May 1945:2:7)

[Brannik]

You should bear in mind that only a small percentage of the convicted by the Bulgarian Peoples Court were genuine war criminals.A huge portion of the convicts were simply anti-communists of all varieties,including many Agrarians and Social Democrats.
Regards

[David Thompson]

Brannik -- I understand that the Bulgarian communist party did not enjoy the support of most of their countrymen, and that these trials were used to ruthlessly eliminate their opponents. That's clear from the relatively limited part Bulgaria played in the war, and the huge number of alleged war criminals who were tried and convicted. Even western commentators remarked on what was happening in 1944-1946, and how the trials were used to eliminate the opposition to communist rule. There are even letters to the editor in contemporary newspaper articles pointing out the unfairness of the proceedings. I'm not trying to insult the country or its inhabitants by posting the list. I'm trying to find out who these people were. Frankly, I'm not fond of communists, and I don't have many illusions about their methods or ethics. Information on Bulgarian politics isn't abundant in the West, and I'd like to do something about it.

[Brannik]

Oh,I didn't find it insulting at all
Unfortunately,I am a very long way from home and all my bulgarian books are there.Also my memory is far from good,so I am afraid that I can't really give you any detailed information about the proceedings that you mentioned.I could only expand what I wrote before,but you seem to be aware of it
You are absolutely right about info on Bulgaria in the West,I find it to be almost non-existent.I had high expectations when coming to the US,I always thought that the few books published on the subject in post-communist Bulgaria were highly insufficient,but needless to say,I was disappointed.
Nevertheless,I would be happy to share with whatever little my above mentioned memory stores.
Regards

[David Thompson]

Thanks, Brannik! I can use all the help I can get.

[Krasimir Leonidov]

I'm bulgarian. I live in small town in northwest part of the country - Vidin. I don't speak English very well, and I hope that you will apologize me.

I know that the Germans and their allies were killing civilians, making war crimes etc. But I think that they were less evil. I think so, because after the war in Bulgaria with protection of the Red army establishes one criminal political regime( I'm not sure that this is the correct word). This regime was directly subordinated to USSR, and because Bulgaria was on the border with countries of NATO - Turkey and Greece, in Bulgaria, with resorces of USSR, was created one evil structure, called "Durgavna Sigurnost", shortened DS, in English this will mean "State Security". This organization created powerful system of informers, in all spheres of society. DS's designation was to find and eliminate the enemies of the Comunist Party.
All of this is acceptable. But the terible thing happens when this organization envelopes all control of Bulgaria. Before and after the "Democratic changes" in 1989 all of the government, the prezident and the court of law are pawns of this evil structure - DS. All parties are childs of this organization - the "socialists", the "democrats", even the "party" of bulgarian king - Simeon II. His reason to return to Bulgaria is to restitute "his" property, which calculated arond 500 milions of euro. They all do notnhing to restrict the criminality, because they are in fact the criminality. They all drain the state budget. There is around 300 000 people, wich are ready to do everything to this organization. DS is the reason, because bulgarian average salary is arond 100 Euros. On all important posts everywhere are people, which are loyal to DS. Even in elite schools and universities students are not selected by their intellect. They are selected by the loyality of their parents to DS.

This is the naked and sad truth about Bulgaria.

[Mr Holmes]

Krasimir, your English is VERY good.

As for the other information you provide, it is very valuable in finding out about the current (and recent) affairs in Bulgaria.

About this thread in particular, did any who escaped these trials, end up becoming members of this DS you talk of?

[Larry D.]

If this thread is still about Bulgarian War Crimes Proceedings and who among those tried were REALLY war criminals and not just political enemies of the Communists, then I would like to note that the Yugoslav postwar literature is full of material on alleged Bulgarian war crimes committed in Macedonia and Serbia by the Bulgarian occupation troops and police. Since many of the Yugoslav accusations match up with accounts that can be found in the German military occupation records of Komm. Gen. und Befehlshaber in Serbien and Heeresgruppe E, then at least some of them are likely to be genuine. The alleged war crimes were the same kind as those committed by the Germans in Yugoslavia but fewer in number because Macedonia and Serbia were relatively peaceful until spring 1944. There were far fewer anti-partisan operations there than in Croatian and Bosnia, and those that did occur in 1944 were small by comparison. Most of the Yugoslav postwar accusations concerned the torturing of Partisan prisoners during interrogation by the Bulgarian police and the shooting of hostages for acts of sabotage and assassinations. The total figures given in the New York Times article of 14 May 1945 is absolutely preposterous. They sum to 5,050 "war criminals" while the Bulgarian-hating postwar Yugoslav government only accused around 100. Outrageous!

--Larry

[Krasimir Leonidov]

I didn't understand the word "trials".

DS controls the situation, because it have huge financical resources, bigger then states resources, whic are coming from criminal activity. Also controls the politicians with their files(or dossies, I'm not sure for the right word). In these files is described their carreer (in te DS) before the Democratic "changes". Almost every bulgarian citizen have a file in the DS archives, in which is descibed his social origin and political convictions, which is made by DS's informers. These files were very important when someone is applicant for a leading position.

But in the eve(I'm not sure that is right word) of the Democratic "changes" participants of an "protest" against BCP succeed to set on fire big percent of the files and now is not sure which files are destroyed, and which are hidden and ready to be used as compromates, if this is necessary.

Very big percent of the politicians had relations with BCP too (They, or their parents were high-standing members of BCP). About the members of DS, most of them was members of BCP too. Members of BCP was not casual people. Many of them were in the comunist party, because they, or their parents were sabotaging and fighting against the official bulgarian government before 1944 as "Partizani". Bigger part of them were criminals. After the war, these "Partizani" have respect title "Active fighter against fascism" and have big privilegies more than other people.

I hope that you will understand what I wish to said.

[David Thompson]

Larry D. -- You wrote:

The total figures given in the New York Times article of 14 May 1945 is absolutely preposterous. They sum to 5,050 "war criminals" while the Bulgarian-hating postwar Yugoslav government only accused around 100. Outrageous!

The contemporaneous news articles in the New York Times (and to a much lesser extent, the London Times) repeatedly suggest that Bulgarian communists were using these war crimes and collaborator trials to wipe out potential opposition to communist rule.

[Larry D.]

The contemporaneous news articles in the New York Times (and to a much lesser extent, the London Times) repeatedly suggest that Bulgarian communists were using these war crimes and collaborator trials to wipe out potential opposition to communist rule.

Well, David, it sure looks like they did a pretty good job of it!

[boobazzz]

I didn't understand the word "trials".

DS controls the situation, because it have huge financical resources, bigger then states resources, whic are coming from criminal activity. Also controls the politicians with their files(or dossies, I'm not sure for the right word). In these files is described their carreer (in te DS) before the Democratic "changes". Almost every bulgarian citizen have a file in the DS archives, in which is descibed his social origin and political convictions, which is made by DS's informers. These files were very important when someone is applicant for a leading position.

But in the eve(I'm not sure that is right word) of the Democratic "changes" participants of an "protest" against BCP succeed to set on fire big percent of the files and now is not sure which files are destroyed, and which are hidden and ready to be used as compromates, if this is necessary.

Very big percent of the politicians had relations with BCP too (They, or their parents were high-standing members of BCP). About the members of DS, most of them was members of BCP too. Members of BCP was not casual people. Many of them were in the comunist party, because they, or their parents were sabotaging and fighting against the official bulgarian government before 1944 as "Partizani". Bigger part of them were criminals. After the war, these "Partizani" have respect title "Active fighter against fascism" and have big privilegies more than other people.

I hope that you will understand what I wish to said.

greetings!,

Krasimir, are trying to say that ALL the opposition to the BCP was sweped and the only social strucutre left is this DS?
cheers!
b.

[bogdanzo]

Bulgarian war crimes have been very well documented in Serbia but what has been missing so far was information if these crimes were prosecuted. I'll give you information for my little town Crvena Jabuka - 64 killed civilians in only one day ( my grandfather, grandmother and aunt were among them ). I will also give you accurate information in numbers for surrounding villages ( number is in thousends - not hundreds ).

I would like to know if anybody in Bulgaria was charged for these crimes in proceedings you have already mentioned.
What I know about this event is that a group of 20-30 soldiers was involved and taht a special unit from Sofia took part in killing. Who were these 100 charged and for which crimes?

Thank you David for starting this forum.

[David Thompson]

bogdanzo -- In 1948 the Yugoslav government put at least ten Bulgarian officials on trial for war crimes committed during the occupation. I have never been able to find much information on this proceeding. What I did find is listed at trial (35) here: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 50#p304250

(35) Trial at Skoplje of Bulgarian occupation officials; concluded 25 Nov 1948 (at least 10 defendants; 3 sentenced to death and 7 to prison)
Bogdanov, Asen (death by hanging)

Bogdanov, Asen -- Bulgarian occupation chief of police at Skoplje (Yugoslavia); military commander, Sofia {extradited to Yugoslavia; put on trial by a Yugoslav court at Skoplje for role in mass murders of Macedonians during the Bulgarian occupation; convicted and sentenced to death by hanging 25 Nov 1948 (NYT 26 Nov 1948:12:3); subsequent fate unknown.}

[bogdanzo]

Do you have names of other nine ( your article mentioned only Bogdanov ).
I think that these people were responsible for Macedonia area ( around Skopje ).
There were many crimes in Eastern Serbia ( pirot , dimitrovgrad, babusnica area ) and this area was under direct control from Sofia. Have you got any information about these proceedings in Bulgaria? I would like to get names of soldiers and officers who where sentanced to death and for what crimes?