BRITAIN SHOCKED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22445, 27 September 1947, Page 7

BRITAIN SHOCKED

FATE OF_PETKOV 'TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE” PROTEST TO BULGARIA (10 a.m.) LONDON Sept 26. Britain, in a Note of protest to Bulgaria, said the trial of Nikola Petkov, reader of the Opposition Peasant Party, was a travesty of justice. The circumstances “confirmed the ..sinister impression that the Bulgarian * Government was determined to extinguish the last vestiges of liberty in Bulgaria. Petkov, in the British Government's opinion, died for the cause for which he always fought—the right of men to hold and express political convictions according to their personal consciences. Petkov’s execution was yet another example of the use of judicial murder to get rid of people who did'riot agree'with their Government, a procedure incompatibte with democracy..’’ " The Note pointed out that Petkov Was executed a week after the Bulgarian peace treaty was ' ratified. “Evidence Clearly Insufficient” “The evidence introduced in court was clearly insufficient,” it added. <*Three judges and two State prosecutors were member,es of the Communr ist Party. The prosecution speeches were political attacks on Petkov and amounted to nothing more than he was Opposed to the Government. Three defence lawyers were arrested and held until it was impossible to participate in the trial. Political pressure was clearly brought to bear oh many witnesses and the court refused to hear others on the ground that the evidence was without interest” . . Trie Note sajd tiie British Government and people were profoundly shocked by the' proceedings which they regard not as a genuine trial hy due legal pro? cesses, bpt an attack on an, individual because of his political opinions. The trial, in fact, was one more manoeuvre in'the general campaign on which the present Bulgarian Government appeared'’to have embarked tp establish in Bulgaria a regime controlled by a minority party and to stifle all those holding ptrier views.