site.btaMay 29, 1946: Trial Begins against G. M. Dimitrov, Other Opposition Agricultural Political Figures

May 29, 2026 marks 80 years since the beginning of the trial against G.M. Dimitrov, one of the biggest opposition figures in Bulgarian history.

Dr. Georgi Mihov Dimitrov - Gemeto was born on April 15, 1903 in the village of Eni Chiflik, Edirne region of modern day Turkiye. In 1922, he joined the Bulgarian Agricultural National Union (BANU) and studied medicine in Zagreb. Member of the Board of Directors of the Al. Stamboliyski - Pladne Bulgarian Agricultural National Union (1932-1933) and of the BANU (1933-1934). In June 1931, he was a member of Parliament, but after the coup of May 19, 1934 he was arrested.

A group of opposition leaders, including Gemeto, signed a letter to Tsar Boris III dated February 21, 1941, demanding that Bulgaria remain neutral in World War II and not allow foreign troops onto Bulgarian territory. Threatened with arrest, Gemeto left Bulgaria. On December 25, 1941, Dimitrov (in absentia) and ten other defendants were sentenced to death by hanging. From exile, Dimitrov maintained contacts with the Agrarians in Bulgaria, who joined the communist-dominated Fatherland Front.

Following the communist takeover of September 9, 1944, he returned to Bulgaria on September 23. He was elected BANU General Secretary. Although he supported the government's activities, including the channeling of repressive measures within the so-called People's Court, Dimitrov set himself the goal of transforming BANU into the dominant political force in the country, as a result of which tensions between it and the Bulgarian Workers' Party increased in the following months. The Communists feared the creation of a bloc between BANU and the Zveno People's Union that would neutralize their influence in the Fatherland Front. After unsuccessful attempts to provoke conflict between the groups in BANU, they decided to remove Dimitrov. After the Soviet representative Sergey Biryuzov personally threatened him with the dissolution of the party, Dimitrov resigned and Nikola D. Petkov was elected in his place.

At that time, a struggle for supremacy and an attempt to eliminate the opposition in the country was underway in the Fatherland Front. As part of the preparation of trials against the leaders of the opposition parties, on April 29, 1945, Dimitrov was placed under house arrest in his apartment on Graf Ignatiev Street in the capital. About a month later, on the night of May 23, he escaped.

Days after his escape, he was expelled from BANU. Mara Racheva, his secretary, was initially arrested for his escape, but died during the investigation against her.

The police established that Dimitrov had hidden in the apartment of an employee of the British legation and he had moved to the residence of the US representative, where he stayed for four months.

On September 5, 1945, after an agreement between US diplomats and the Bulgarian side, he and his wife left Bulgaria and settled in the United States. A year after his escape from his home, the trial against him and 16 members of his party began. 

The trial in the Sofia Regional Court began on May 29, 1946. Sixteen other people were charged, including prominent BANU representatives such as Tsenko Barev, Georgi Pchelinski, and Evtim Arsov. They were accused of committing various crimes as members of BANU between November 1944 and October 1945. 

During his stay in Paris in 1946-1947, Dimitrov attempted to establish an organization of political emigres – the Bulgarian National Liberation Committee, which, however, disintegrated shortly after. Having settled in the United States in 1947, Dimitrov became the General Secretary of the International Peasant Union – with the task of fighting against the communists in Eastern Europe. At the same time, he headed the Bulgarian National Committee, composed only of Bulgarian emigrants, which pursued the same goals. He died in the United States in 1972.

The following are original news items from the Home News bulletin of BTA:

The case against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov

Sofia, May 29, 1946 - This morning, the 6th criminal division of the Sofia Regional Court, composed of chairman At. Muletarov and members K. Undzhiev and V. Petrov, began the examination of the case against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov /Gemeto/ and his associates Georgi Hr. Pchelinski, Tsenko V. Barev, Eftim At. Arsov, Penka Yord. Angelova, Dr. Emil Kr. Nikolov, Dr. Mihail K. Dimitrov, Dr. Angel D. Rangechev, Nikolay N. Popov, Kosta Il. Ivanov, Boris M. Mitrev, Petar Odrinski, Zhelezan R. Zhelezanov, Stoyan T. Zhekov, Strati Tod. Dimitrov and Vakril Yanev. Of these, Dr. G. M. Dimitrov, Tsanko Barev and Vakril Yanev are missing, and all the others are at large.

The prosecution is supported by the prosecutor Mr. Naiden Maleev. About 200 witnesses have been called. The defendants have over 40 defence attorneys. (…)

The session adjourned at 12 noon for tomorrow, 8 a.m., when the indictment will be read, after which the questioning of the accused will begin. The questioning of witnesses will begin on June 1, with the witnesses divided into groups for questioning from June 1 to 8.

The charges against the defendants are for hiding Dr. Naiden Stefanov, who was sentenced to death by the People's Court, for creating armed groups to fight against the Fatherland Front and illegal channels for leaving the country in the Elhovo and Topolvgrad regions, for issuing false identity cards, for undermining the combat capability of the Bulgarian army and for demotivating soldiers fighting in the Bulgarian army after September 1944 in World War II, for the escape of G. M. Dimitrov. The defendants denied the charges during the trial.

The trial against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov

Sofia, May 31, 1946 - Today's session of the trial against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov began with the interrogation of the defendants.

Georgi Hristov Pchelinski was questioned first, and he pleaded not guilty. He testified about the circumstances under which he had received Dr. Naiden Stefanov, who was wanted by the authorities and subsequently sentenced to death by the People's Court, at his home. (…)

However, due to the established glaring contradictions in the defendant's testimony, at the request of the prosecutor, the court ordered that the defendant's written testimony be read.

From the testimonies read, it is evident that the defendant met with Dr. Naiden Stefanov, who was wanted by the authorities, at the house of Dr. G. M. Dimitrov and, on his orders, sheltered him in his home, hid him until his departure, etc.

The interrogation of the second defendant, Evtim Anastasov Arsov, lasted about five hours. (…) Due to the obvious contradictions between the testimony that the defendant gave before the court and his written testimony given during the investigation, the latter were read out.

It now becomes apparent that the defendant Arsov had frequent meetings with Dr. G. M. Dimitrov and received orders from him.

When Dr. G. M. Dimitrov was under house arrest, the defendant and Alexander Manov had discussions about the doctor's kidnapping. Manov gave many ideas on organizing the escape, as well as the fact that he had met with Mara Racheva and Strati Dimitrov, again to discuss the issue of the escape, etc. (…)

***

Sofia, June 1, 1946 - Today's court session examining the trial against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov and the other defendants opened at 8 a.m. (...)

The interrogation of the defendants then continued. (…)

After her, Dr. Emanuil Kraev Nikolov was questioned, accused of having taken part in organizing the escape of Dr. G. M. Dimitrov. He also pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor asked him the following questions: since he denied his guilt, why was he interested in the police posts in front of Dr. G. M. Dimitrov's house; did he give Mara Racheva a password in connection with organizing the escape of Dr. G. M. Dimitrov; did he meet in Vidin with people belonging to Draza Mihajlovic, etc. The defendant answered negatively to all questions.

Due to complete contradictions in his testimony, his testimony at the inquest was read out. They show that the defendant went to Mara Racheva several times and asked the password question: "Has the fiancé arrived and will he be free soon?" Upon one such inquiry, Mara Racheva replied to the defendant: "The fiance has come and soon the results will be favorable for him." (…)

Then the accused Nikola N. Popov was questioned - the district organizer of the opposition Agricultural Youth Union in Topolovgrad region, accused of activities to create and arm combat groups, organize a channel for crossing the border, etc. (…)

After the completion of the interrogations of the defendants, the case continues with the questioning of witnesses until the end of June.

***

Sofia, July 4, 1946 - In today's session of the trial against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov and the other defendants, the defence attorneys delivered their speeches (...).

Other defence attorneys were trying to establish that the first defendant - Dr. G. M. Dimitrov - had no criminal activity, so that the charges against all the other defendants could be dropped.

An interesting position was taken by the defence attorney Boris Pavlov, who, after trying to portray Dr. G. M. Dimitrov as crystal-clearly innocent, had the courage to suggest that Dr. G. M. Dimitrov did not escape from his home through the window, but rather calmly left through the door, so there were no participants or helpers in his escape.

More objective was the defence attorney Vladimir Handzhiev, who advocated the view that there was a consummated criminal act, which was attempted to be mitigated by the lack of intent. (…)

The verdicts in the case were pronounced on July 12, 1946. The defendants were found guilty and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, some of which were suspended.

Dr. G. M. Dimitrov sentenced to life in solitary confinement

Sofia, July 12, 1946 - Today, at 11 a.m., the Sofia District Court pronounced the verdict in the case against Dr. G. M. Dimitrov and the other defendants.

The verdict has the following content: the court finds the defendant Dr. Georgi Mihov Dimitrov, 47, originally from the village of Eni Chiflik, a former resident of Sofia, now missing, guilty of having, at the beginning of 1945, hidden Dr. Naiden St. Stefanov in Sofia, whom he knew had committed a crime under the Ordinance-Law on the Trial by the People's Court of the Persons Responsible for Engaging Bulgaria in the World War Against the Allied Nations and for the Atrocities Related to It, and therefore (...) sentences him to serve a sentence of 10 years in strict solitary confinement (...).

The same defendant is found guilty of: in the spring of 1945, during the Patriotic War, he gave orders to raise and distribute among the soldiers in the country and at the front of the First Bulgarian Army slogans, appeals and posters allegedly on behalf of the Bulgarian Agricultural National Union such as: "Peace - Bread - Freedom", "Peace - Bread - People's Power", "People's Power - Does Not Mean Violence" and others with the aim of reducing the fighting ability and fighting spirit of the Bulgarian army and diverting it from its task. For which (…) he is sentenced to life imprisonment (…).

The testimonies of many of the witnesses in the case were used to initiate proceedings against other agricultural leaders such as Nikola D. Petkov, who would later be sentenced to death in separate trials.