§ 10. Mr. Keelingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will issue a White Paper on the Petkov affair.
§ Mr. MayhewThe Press and wireless have given generous publicity to the position adopted by His Majesty's Government in regard to the trial and execution of M. Petkov, and I do not consider that the issue of a White Paper would be justified. 488 I am, however, arranging for the circulation in the OFFICIAL REPORT of the text of the communication which His Majesty's representative in Sofia delivered, on instructions, to the Bulgarian Government on 25th September.
§ Major Legge-BourkeDoes not the Under-Secretary of State consider it is a little inconsistent with the protest of the Government that the British political representative, to Bulgaria should have been promoted to Minister immediately after the Petkov affair?
§ Mr. MayhewWe made our position perfectly plain. On balance, it seemed wise to us to be properly represented.
§ Following is the text:
§ British Legation, Sofia.
§ 25th September, 1947.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,I have been instructed by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to address Your Excellency as follows:—
- 1. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom deem it necessary to place on record with the Bulgarian Government their dismay at the execution of Nikola Petkov and their condemnation of the conduct of the trial of this gallant leader of Bulgarian peasant resistance to fascism and all forms of political oppression.
- 2. The Bulgarian Government have been left in no doubt that His Majesty's Government and the people of the United Kingdom have been profoundly shocked by the proceedings against Nikola Petkov which they regard not as a genuine trial by due processes of law but as an attack upon an individual on account of his political opinions. The trial was in fact one more manoeuvre in the general campaign on which the present Bulgarian Government appear to have embarked to establish in Bulgaria a régime controlled by a minority party and to stifle all those who hold other views.
- 3. His Majesty's Government consider that they have not only the right but also the duty to make known their opinion upon this matter both officially to the Bulgarian Government and publicly to the world. Their concern arises in part from their signature of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe of the nth February, 1945, and in part because they, together with the Governments of the United States of America and of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, are responsible under the terms of the Treaty of Peace with Bulgaria for ensuring its efficient execution both in letter and in spirit. Article 2 of this Treaty pro vides that Bulgaria shall take all measures necessary to secure to all persons under Bulgarian jurisdiction the enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, of press and publication, of religious worship, of political opinion and of public meeting.
489 - 4. This Treaty entered into force on the 15th September last; Mr. Petkov was executed one week later. The accusation against him was that he had incited military conspiracies against the present Bulgarian régime. The evidence introduced in court was clearly insufficient to sustain a conviction. The three judges of the Court and the two State Prosecutors were members of the Communist Party and the Prosecution speeches were, for the most part, political attacks on Mr. Petkov amounting to nothing more than that he had opposed the Government. Three of the lawyers originally selected by Mr. Petkov to undertake his defence were immediately arrested and thus prevented from taking part in the trial. Even then Mr. Petkov was not allowed free and private consultation with the Counsel who finally appeared for him. A full deposition presented by Mr. Petkov was stated in Court to have been returned to him as unacceptable to the State Prosecutor. Pressure had clearly been brought to bear on many witnesses and on the co-defendants and the Court refused to hear certain witnesses on the grounds that their evidence would be without interest. General Popov, alleged to be the leader of a conspiratorial organisation with which Mr. Petkov was said to be connected, and himself already serving a prison sentence, was several times called as a witness but was stated to be physically unfit to appear. General Stanchev alleged to be a leader of another such conspiratorial body was also not brought before the Court although he has already been under arrest without trial for more than a year. The trial was conducted in a blaze of one sided publicity, pre-judging the guilt of Mr. Petkov and designed to blacken his character, and the Prosecutor based himself upon this publicity campaign to claim in Court, and without being called to order, that the people of Bulgaria had called for the heaviest penalty.
- 5. The above examples, out of many which might be cited, of the manner in which the trial was conducted leave no room for doubt that the proceedings were a travesty of justice and confirm the sinister impression that the Bulgarian Government are determined to extinguish the last vestiges of liberty in Bulgaria. In the opinion of His Majesty's Government Nikola Petkov died for the cause for which he had always fought, namely the right of men to hold and express according to their personal consciences their own political convictions. His execution is yet another example of the use of judicial murder to get rid of people who do not agree with their Government—a procedure which is not compatible with democracy.
I avail myself of this opportunity to express to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.
§ (Sgd.) J. C. STERNDALE BENNETT.