PASTORS HELD IN BULGARIA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25738, 25 February 1949, Page 7

PASTORS HELD IN BULGARIA

AMERICAN PROTEST REJECTED

(Rec. 7 p.mO WASHINGTON.-Feb. 23. The United States has protested against Bulgaria’s arrest of 15 Protestant churchmen as “a blatant and .terroristic effort” to intimidate religious denominations. The State Department said to-day that a formal Note of protest had been delivered to Bulgaria at Sofia and had been rejected outright by the Bulgarian Government almost immediately. The churchmen are accused of spyins for the United States and Britain. The British Council of Churches has released what are described as secret orders issued from the Communist central headquarters in Sofia to promote a campaign against the Evangelical churches in Bulgaria. The council said that under these orders 30 to 40 castors had been arrested in Bulgaria. Some of them had been imprisoned as hostages for pastors who could not be found. The pastors’ wives and families were “grilled” and tormented to make accusations and sign statements. The council quotes these orders as saying: “The growing activity of the’ Evangelical churches in Bulgaria is closely connected with the imperialists’ mad activity in inciting a new war. Pastors under the veil of various religions are introducing policies of foreign influence into Bulgaria.”