ARREST OF MR PETKOV

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25206, 10 June 1947, Page 7

ARREST OF MR PETKOV

“Purely Domestic Question” REPLY TO BRITAIN AND U.S. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) SOFIA, June 8. It is officially announced that Mr George Dimitrov, the Communist prime Minister of Bulgaria, informed the British and United States political representatives in Bulgaria that the arrest of Mr Nikola Petkov, the Agrarian National Party (Opposition) leader, on charges of conspiracy was purely a domestic question. Mr Dimitrov said Mr Petkov would be tried according to Bulgarian law, with no special procedure, on a charge of plotting an armed coup d’etat. The British and United States representatives yesterday told Mr Dimitrov that Mr Petkov’s arrest might have “international importance.” A spokesman for the Bulgarian Government denied that there was any evidence that the crisis in Hungarv was linked with recent affairs in Bulgaria. The State prosecutor said: “Mr Petkov acted in the service of certain international circles, and he wishes to establish in Bulgaria such a government as would be contrary to the democratic and international elements of the people." The prosecutor also alleged that Mr Petkov had prepared a coup d’etat, and had directed an attempt to build up an illegal military organisation in the Bulgarian army.