The Bulgarian People's Tribunal was notorious for its harsh judgments and high number of death sentences. It executed 150 members of the supreme state authorities, a stark contrast to the International Nuremberg Tribunal, which sentenced 11 people to death, and the Far Eastern International Tribunal, which sentenced 7.
On 3 July 1945, the chief prosecutor reported to the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party that the People's Tribunal had conducted 132 trials with the following outcomes:
– Death Sentences**: 2,816 sentences were handed down, with 2,700 actually carried out.
– Life Imprisonment**: 1,233 sentences.
– 20 Years Confinement**: 11 sentences.
– 15 Years Confinement**: 964 sentences.
– 12 Years Confinement**: 41 sentences.
– 10 Years Confinement**: 687 sentences.
– 8-7-6 Years Confinement**: 197 sentences.
– 5 Years Confinement**: 1,006 sentences.
– 3 Years Confinement**: 379 sentences.
– 2 Years Confinement**: 318 sentences.
– 1 Year Confinement**: 724 sentences.
– 1 Year Probation**: 668 sentences.
– Acquittals**: 1,485 cases.
– Stopped and Suspended Trials**: 386 cases.
Suppression of Opposition Parties
The suppression of political opposition began as early as November 1944, with the first signs of conflict between the communists and other parties in the government dominated by the Fatherland Front.
In response to pressure from the Allied Control Committee, the Bulgarian government postponed the parliamentary elections scheduled for 26 August 1945. This delay was a significant early victory for the opposition parties against the communist dictatorship.
Political Parties in Legal Opposition
Several political parties were legally active during this period:
– Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union**: Led by Nikola Petkov, with the party newspaper "People's Agrarian Banner."
– Bulgarian Social Democratic Party**: Headed by Kosta Lulchev, with the party newspaper "Free Nation."
– Democratic Party**: Chaired by Nikola Moushanov and Alexander Ghirghinov, with the party newspaper "Zname" (Banner).
– Radical Party**: Included in the broader opposition.
– Independent Intellectuals' Opposition Group**: Led by Professor Petko Stainov Istanbul Tour Guide.
Crackdown on Opposition
In early June 1946, leaders of the Bulgarian Communist Party visited Moscow and received directives to intensify the communization of Bulgaria and eliminate political opposition.
The Bulgarian Social Democratic Party was one of the first targets. On 26 June 1946, Krustyo Pastuhov, the leader of the party, was arrested, sentenced to 5 years in prison, and subsequently killed by strangulation while in custody. Tzvetan Ivanov, the editor of the Social Democratic Party's newspaper "Free Nation," was also arrested during this crackdown.
The actions of the People's Tribunal and the suppression of opposition parties highlight the intense and often brutal measures taken by the Bulgarian Communist Party to consolidate power and eliminate any threats to their control. The high number of death sentences and the systematic dismantling of political opposition are emblematic of the repressive tactics used to enforce the new regime's authority and suppress dissent.
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