Bulgaria’s “Flagrant Violation” Of Treaty: N.Z. Lodges Protest

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22887, 5 March 1949, Page 7

Bulgaria’s “Flagrant Violation” Of Treaty: N.Z. Lodges Protest

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 5. The Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, said today that the Government was gravely concerned at the circumstances of the trial of 15 Bulgarian pastors which commenced on February 25.

“According to information received by the Government,’’ said Mr. Fraser, the 15 Evangelical pastors whose trials commenced last week have been under arrest for a period of some months. The charges preferred against them appear to be identical with those made against the Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Mindszenty, and it was evident that the Bulgarian Government’s action is a fux-ther step in the campaign against religious freedom which is being carried on with extreme ruthlessness by the Communist Governments of Eastern Europe. “In the peace treaty signed by Bulgaria to which New Zealand is a party, the Bulgarian Government guaranteed to take all the measures necessary to secure to all persons under Bulgarian jurisdiction, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religious worship and of political opinion, “The circumstances of the present case leave no doubt that the Bulgarian Government’s action is in a flagrant violation of the relevant clauses of the peace treaty and contrary to the principles of the international declaration of human rights which was adopted by the last session of the United Nations General Assembly. “The New Zealand Government, accordingly, has arranged for tha delivery of an emphatic protest expressing its disapproval of the Bulgarian Government’s action.”