The People's Court ( bg, Народен съд) was a special court of

Communist Bulgaria The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...

, set up outside the operations of the constitutional frame of law. The court was established after the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944. The court verdicts started on 1 February 1945, sentencing to death, with no right of appeal, 3 regents, 8 royal advisors, 22 cabinet ministers, 67 MPs from the 24th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria, and 47 generals and senior army officers. Overall, the Court tried 135 cases with 11,122 accused. A total of 9,155 people were sentenced. Of these 2,730 to death, and 1,305 to life sentences. It remains unknown how many executions were carried out. In 1996, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bulgaria repealed some of the People's Court sentences due to "lack of evidence". With decision 4/1998 the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria declared the People's Court to be unconstitutional. As a consequence its decisions can be repelled without a review being necessary.

Notable people sentenced by the ''People's Court''

Sentenced to death

* The three regents of the yet immature king of Bulgaria Simeon II: king's uncle Prince Kiril, prime minister

Bogdan Filov Bogdan Dimitrov Filov ( bg, Богдан Димитров Филов; 10 April 1883 – 1 February 1945) was a Bulgarian archaeologist, art historian and politician. He was prime minister of Bulgaria during World War II. During his tenure, Bulga ...

, lt. general

Nikola Mihov Nikola Mihaylov Mihov ( bg, Никола Михайлов Михов, 11 December 1891 – 1 February 1945) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian lieutenant general of artillery who served as one of the three List of Bulgarian regents#Regents for Tsar Simeo ...

* The most recent prime ministers prior to the coup: Bogdan Filov,

Petar Gabrovski Petar Dimitrov Gabrovski () (9 July 1898 – 1 February 1945) was a Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister during the Second World War. Gabrovski was a lawyer by profession. He was also a member of the Grand Masonic Lodge of ...

, Dobri Bozhilov and

Ivan Bagryanov Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov ( bg, Иван Иванов Багрянов) (17 October 1891, in Razgrad – 1 February 1945, in Sofia) was a leading Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister during the Second World War. Biography After a ...

. * The Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army

Konstantin Lukash Konstantin Ludvig Lukash ( bg, Константин Лудвиг Лукаш; September 16, 1890 in Plovdiv – March 15, 1945) was a Bulgarian officer and Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army from 11 August 1941 until the 11 May 1944. Biography ...

* Army Generals Nikola Stoychev, Nikola Nakov, Teodosi Daskalov,

Rusi Rusev Rusi or RUSI may refer to: Places in Romania * Ruși River, Romania * Ruși, a district in the town of Zlatna, Alba County * Ruși, a village in Bretea Română, Hunedoara County * Ruși, a village in Slimnic, Sibiu County * Ruși, a village in ...

Asen Nikolov Asen Nikolov ( bg, Асен Николов; born 5 August 1976 in Plovdiv), nicknamed Bebeto (Бебето), is a Bulgarian footballer playing as an attacking midfielder. For the Bulgarian national team, Nikolov was capped one time. Career After ...

, Georgi Nikolov * Aleksandar Staliyski - a right-wing politician

Other sentences

* Atanas Burov - a banker and ex-minister sentenced to one year of imprisonment * Konstantin Muraviev - an interim prime-minister, received a life-time sentence, but was released in 1961. * Nikola Mushanov - prime minister in the period 12 October 1931 – 19 May 1934. Sentenced for one year. Dies on 21 May 1951 in the cabinet of a doctor at Darzhavna sigurnost. * Army Generals

Vasil Boydev Vasil Boydev (Bulgarian: Васил Бойдев; January 1, 1893 – April 23, 1983) was a Bulgarian Lieutenant-General who fought in World War II. Biography Vasil Tenev Boydev was born on January 1, 1893, in the town of Kazanlak. He is the son ...

Asen Sirakov Asen Sirakov ( bg, Асен Сираков; 2 November 1895 - 30 January 1960) was a Bulgarian Major-General who fought in both World Wars.Везенков, Александър. 9 септември 1944 г.. София, Сиела, 2014. ISBN 978 ...

Remembrance

As of 2011 by suggestion of two ex-presidents of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev and

Petar Stoyanov Petar Stefanov Stojanov ( bg, Петър Стефанов Стоянов ; born 25 May 1952) is a Bulgarian politician who was President of Bulgaria from 1997 to 2002. He was elected as a candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). He di ...

, February 1 has been marked as the Day of remembrance and a tribute to the memory of the victims of the communist regime.

References

{{Reflist World War II war crimes trials Legal history of Bulgaria

Notable people sentenced by the ''People's Court''

Sentenced to death

Other sentences

Remembrance

See also

References