BULGARIA COMMEMORATES THE VICTIMS OF COMMUNIST RULE

On 1st of February, Bulgaria marks the Day of Homage and Gratitude to the Victims of the Communist Regime.

The date marks a decision by a Bulgarian communist “People’s Court” on 1st of February, 1945 to sentence to death three regents of the young Bulgarian king, 67 members of parliament, 22 cabinet ministers and 40 military generals and senior officers of the Bulgarian Royal Army, as well as a number of other political figures.

The death sentences were executed on the same day. Many of the relatives of the victims were displaced before or during the process. According to a report by the State Security, for a period of nine months, 28,131 people were displaced and thousands were killed.

The day of remembrance and respect to the victims of the communistrRegime is celebrated on 1st of February at the proposal of the presidents of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev (1990-1997) and Petar Stoyanov (1997-2002).

Representatives of the centre-right GERB party and the Reformist Bloc will lay flowers at the Memorial to the victims of communism in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

The day was marked with various commemorative events in Sofia and in the country. The Union of Repressed in Bulgaria after September 9, 1944 organised a public prayer at the memorial complex to the victims of communism in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture. Commemorative events took place in Plovdiv as well.