Day of Remembrance and Respect to Victims of the Communist Regime

Bulgaria observes Day of Remembrance and Respect for Victims of the Communist Regime on February 1 each year. It was declared by the government to remember the memory of all those who were unjustly imprisoned and murdered by the dictatorial regime in Bulgaria and to serve as a permanent reminder of these horrific deeds. There is no national holiday, thus companies remain open. In contrast, wreaths are deposited at the memorial wall in Sofia and memorial church services are held, with politicians also delivering speeches.

HISTORY OF DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND RESPECT FOR COMMUNIST REGIME VICTIMS

The Bulgarian Communist Party, which seized power in 1944, contributed to the country’s gloomy history. As the party tried to consolidate its full rule over the Bulgarian populace, extensive political repression followed. The establishment of the “People’s Court” in violation of the Bulgarian Constitution was one of the means by which they accomplished this. This illegitimate body was utilised as a “terrorist instrument” by the communists.

Regents, members of parliament, generals, cabinet ministers, colonels, and bankers were convicted to death and executed by the People’s Court on 1 February 1945. In the months that followed these violent murders, the Court continued to prosecute individuals purportedly associated with the previous government. Over 9,000 individuals were sentenced, approximately 2,730 were executed, and 1,305 were given life sentences. Others just “disappeared” prior to trial, leaving tens of thousands in unmarked graves. The Belene Labor Camp was built on Belene Island in 1949 to target “enemies of the regime,” particularly evangelical Christian preachers. This horrible camp was operational until 1959.

This brutal regime was overthrown in November 1989, and a peaceful transition to parliamentary democracy ensued. Due to a lack of evidence against the defendants, the Supreme Court reversed the sentences handed down in 1945 in 1996. The Bulgarian Constitutional Court considers the People’s Court illegal in 1998.

Conservatorship and Guardianship Abuse Awareness Day – February 1, 2023 (newsd.in)

5 PRINCIPAL ASPECTS OF COMMUNISM

Central planning controls the supply and demand of goods in a communist regime.

Communism restricts private businesses and prohibits private ownership of means of production.

Each person gets compensated based on their individual needs, eradicating large and unjust disparities in income.

In a communist regime, all means of production are owned and controlled by the government.

The government is responsible for providing work and compensation based on an individual’s abilities.