Bulgaria’s President pays tribute to the victims of communist regime

Bulgaria’s head of state Rumen Radev paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the communist rule in Bulgaria, the press office of the Presidency said on February 1.

The President laid flowers in front of the monument in the park near the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

February 1 is the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Communism.

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 communist regime is celebrated on 1st of February at the proposal of the presidents of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev (1990-1997) and Petar Stoyanov (1997-2002).