THE FIRST POLITICAL TRIALS
Together with the mass murders without trial and sentences in the end of 1944 and all throughout 1945, the serbocommunist authorities organize legal processes against the leading bulgarian intelligentsia.
Among the first accused are: D. Giuselev, doctor of philosophy from Doiran; eng. D. Tchkatrov from Prilep; eng. Spiro Kitintchev fom Scopije; Dr. Robev of Bitolya; Dr. V. Svetiev of Bitolya; Dr. Vl. Toudjarovski of Liuboino village, Bitolya; eng. Hr. Svetiev of Bitolya; Dr. Ass. Tatartchev of Ressen; V. Hadjikimov of Shtip; Dr P. Burdarov of Prilep; St. Stefanov, lawyer from Kratovo; Il. Kotsarev, lawyer from Ohrid; eng. V. Spantchev of Debar region; Rosa Koizeklieva, schoolmistress from Shtip; N. Pavlov, lawyer from Tetovo; Dr. Bl. Pantchev of Scopije; Dr. P. Hitrov of Veles; Al. Kostov, lawyer from Bitolya; Hr. Rizov, merchant from Bitolya and thousands of their coactivists and followers from the whole Vardar Macedonia, all eminent activists of IMRO and the Macedonian Youth Secret Revolutionary Organisation (MYSRO). Besides being in the lead of the fight against the serbian yoke, in the years of the liberation 1941-1944, they head the bulgarian national- cultural activity in Macedonia. With their trials and sentencing, as V. Hadjikimov writes in his memoires, the serbocommunist authorities, put on the bench of the accused the bulgarian history, the bulgarian national consciousness, culture and language in Macedonia. In the serbian courts until 1941, the fighters for liberation of Macedonia are tried by the Law for persecution and destruction of the bandits or the Law for Defence of the State. Now, to the "macedonian court" people are brought under the "Law for the Macedonian honour". Every one who considers himself bulgarian or thinks that the history, language and the nationality of the slavonnic population in Macedonia are bulgarian, automatically is attacked by the strict prosecution paragraphs of this anti-bulgarian law with the accusal that he works against "the people and the state", that he is enemy of "new Yugoslavia", of the brotherhood and unity of the "yugoslavian people" and so on.
The persecuted by the serbo-communist authorities bulgarians, end by being tried, as in the royal courts, until 1941 because they are bulgarians, and they want to separate Vardar Macedona from Yugoslavia in order to create an independent Macedonia or attach it to Bulgaria and etc. For these accusations D.Giuselev, D. Tchkatrov and 200 other comrades, are sentenced during the Students Trial in Scopije, in 1927, to 15- 20 years of strict regime imprisonement by the serbian enslavers.
On the trials, organized against the above-mentioned and other eminent intellectuals, they are accused of meeting the entry of the Bulgarian army in Macedonia (in April 1941); that together with their followers have worked for the revival and the victory of the bulgarian national cause in Macedonia, thus acting against their "own people".
On the trial, organised in Scopije on May 28 until June 2 1945, the three most notorious leaders of MYSRO and eminent political figures in Macedonia of the 1941-1944 period
D. Giouselev, D. Tchkatrov and Spiro Kitintchev are accused by the serbo-communist court that they have accepted the "occupation" as fulfillment "of a centenial dream of the macedonians to unite with Mother Bulgaria". As well as, that as ideologists and leaders of the intelligentsia, during the period 1941 1944, have tought the people of Macedonia to bulgarian national spirit. All thrree of them accept the accusations, declaring that during their whole life they, in full consciousness and readiness for self-sacrifice, have fought for the defence of the bulgarian population from the serbian assimilation and the liberation of Macedonia from serbian domination. For this struggle, they have spent 10 years in the gloomy serbian prisons and death-camps in Royal Yugoslavia. For the "macedonian" judges, however, they are only "enemies of the people" and "traitors" to Macedonia.
The accused defend themselves with more than dignity. D. Giouselev openly states: "Who are you, to judge me for my activity. I served my people, and who do you serve?" D.Tchkatrov says, that he feels "soiled, being tried by "macedonians", who have already sentenced him as fighter for the liberation of Macedonia from serbian slavery." Almost in identical way, react his comrades. In front of the "macedonian" judges, they defend not only themselves, but the struggles of IMRO and MYSRO and the bulgarian nature of Macedonia from centuries time, as well. The court sentences all three of them to death. D. Giouselev and D. Tchkatrov are shot, while S. Kitintchev dies in the prison as result of tortures.
Such sentences are pronounced and executed over hundreds of bulgarians in 1945-1946, not only in Scopije, but in all towns of Vardar Macedonia as well. Only in Scopije, 18 trials with 226 accused are carried out, of which 22 are sentenced to death. Amongst them are: Dimitar Todorov of Veles, Emil Michailov of Shtip, Metodi Trendafilov of Scopije, Dimitar Katlanov of Scopije, Angel Dimkov of Scopije, Iliya Nedkov of Shtip, Dr. Panayot Hitrov of Veles, Pantche Delev of Veles, Vassil Hadjikimov of Shtip, Traiko Popov of v. Rashtak in the Scopije region, Traiko Tchundev of v. Podless in the Veles region.
To long tears of imprisonment are sentenced thousands of bulgarians. Amongst them : Dimitar Voinitsaliev, Kosta Hrisimov, Dr. Dimitar Zlatarev, Dr. Iliya Tchulev, eng. Kiril
Petsakov, Stefan Kouzmanov, Krastio Ivanovski, Petar Zdraveev, Boris Gradishki, Nicola Popov, Radko Gradishki, Evtim Gashev, Milka Tsvetanova, Ana Kostova, Stoilko Davidov, Traiko Iovtchev, Nicola Vetrov, Dimitar Panov, Bruno Kotev, Tome Issailov, father Gogov, Yordan Dimitrov. Dimitar Davidov, Boris Peev, Nicola Pavlov, Miho Mihailov, Vasse Poupkov, Atse Traitchev, Todor Krainitchanets, Grigor Tchoulev, Alekso Stoimenov and thousands of their comrades.
In Shtip, in series of legal processes, according to the newspapers: "New Macedonia" in the 1945 issues of February 11, March 10, May 31st; "Politica" of October 16th 1945; "Borba" of May 10th 1946 as well as others, taken to court and sentenced to death are 7 bulgarians while another 32 are sentenced to long-term imprisonement under the law of the "national honour". Among them are: Iliya Hadjislankov, Vassil Pouzdarliev, Dobre Ivanov, Anton Kovatchev, Mane Ivanov, Tode Angelov, Stoyan Andreev all of them from Shtip;
Blagoi Tsipoushev of Radovish; Georgi Zafirov, Vlado Madjarov, Iliya Yougov and Georgi Tcholakov of Gevgeli; Angel Evtimov, Emanouil Peshev, Trifon Evtimov of Vinitsa in the Kotchansko region; Pavle Marinov, Pantcho Arsov, Sande Manev, Yordan Teodosiev of Kotchani and many others.
Of the tried in Prilep in 1945, 28 people, according th the newspapers "New Macedonia" of April 28th 1945 and "Borba" of October 6th 1945, 10 are sentenced to death. Among them are: Petar Spassov, Dimitar Naydenov, Dr Petar Ivanov, Alexander Hadjizdravev and Hristo Surtchev all from Prilep; Ivan Tsakov, Iliya Angelov, Petar Stoyanov and Petar Petrov of Dren (Prilep's regoon); as well as Georgi Trompev, Haralampi Boutlev, Kiril Kouzmanov, Boris Popov and others- all of them bulgarian intellectuals, former members or followers of IMRO and MYSRO.
In Veles, according to "New Macedonia" of April 30th and June 2nd 1945 and "Borba" of June 12th 1945, the following are sentenced to death: Georgi Dimitrov, Nako Georgiev, Blazho Boikovski, Yanko Shopov, Hristo Danailov, Pantcho Stavrev, Bozhin Rizov, Milan Atanasov, Georgi Ivanov and Trifon Lazov; to long-term imprisonement are sentenced: Liuben Brutchkov, Todor Gorgov, Blagoi Tchoushkov, Lazar Kitsev, Angel Dimov, Blagoi Varnaliev and others.
In Bitolya, accoprding to "Politica" of May 24th 1945, in a single trial, 9 bulgarians were sentenced to death. Among them: Michail Michailov, Voidan Bimbilov, Georgi Moskov, Boris Todorov, Alexander Dalov and others. To long-term imprisonement, according to
" Borba" of July 1st, 1945, are sentenced Hristo Rizov, Dr. Konstantin Robev, Toma Gigov, Nikola Kolarov, Tsvetan Damev, Dr. Assen Tatartchev, Dr. Vlado Toudjarovski, Tsane Kostov and others.
In Ohrid, to 10 -15 years of strict regime of imprisonement are sentenced Iliya Kotsarev, Savo Kotsarev, Stoitcho Tashev, Nikola Argirov, Naum Jossifov, Toma Gaidadjiev, Lioubtcho Kotsarov and many others.
Arrests, trials, sentences to death or long-term imprisonement of the most notorious bulgarians are done in the other small towns of Vardar Macedonia. In Gevgeli are tried more than 35 people, in Stroumitsa more than 60, in Berovo and Deltchevo more than 100, in Kotchani -48 and so on. At all legal processes, all of them are accused of being "pan-bulgarians", "michailovists", "IMRO-ists", "fascists" and enemies of "new Yugoslavia".
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