Evening star., 1949-03-06
|Verdicts Due. tuesday
In Bulgarian Trial Of
IS Protestant Leaders
By the Assoeioied Press

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Mar. 5.-Ver-
diets in the treason trial of IS
Bulgarian Protestant ministers are
to be returned at 3 pm. g am.
EST Tuesday. All begged the
courts mercy in final pleas today.
A motion picture crew filmed the
scene as the ministers, four of
them weeping. again expressed re-
pentance and asked for a new
chance to work for the Commu-
nist-controlled government.
They face possible penalties
ranging from 10 years imprison-
ment to death on charges of seek
ing to overthrow the government,
spying for the United States and
Britain and dealing illegally in
foreign currency.
Delivers Emotional Plea.
The No. l defendant, the Rev.
Vassil Ziapkov, made the longest
and most emotional plea. crying:
IF you were a Fascist court I
would not expect from you other
than simply verdict. but since
you are a peoples court I expect
something more than a punish
ment: a chance to repair my er-
rors. I am starting a new life. My
old life ends today. Up to now. I
have been serving foreign gods.
Please help me to become a hero
of the Fatherland Front (the gov
ernment). If you give me the
gift of, life, I shall dedicate my
life to faithful work for the Fa-
therland Front.
The prosecution has demanded
death for Mr.. ziapkov. 48-year-
old Congregationalist, and three
others who served with him on the
supreme council of the United
Evangelical Churches of Bulgaria.
Others who wept were the Rev.
Nikola Naumov, 40. Baptist as
sociate of Mr.. Ziapkov on the
Supreme Council. and two lesser
defendants, the Rev. Ladin Popov,
36, Pentecost, and the Rev. Alex
ander Zahariev, IS, Methodist.
Wants To Repair Sins
Mr.. Naumov said he was a sick
man and my days are numbered, :"
but a study of Communist litera-
ture in jail had given him "a new
insight into life and I now want
to repair my sins
One of the shortest pleas was
made by Rev. Georgi Charnev,
46, Pentecost pastor and supreme
council member for whom the
prosecution demanded death.
II pray for mercy and I re-
pent," he said. Il have put an end
to my shameful past and ask for
an extenuating and just verdict"
Through other pleas ran such
phrases as:
Give me a chance to work for
Socialism"
II want to dedicate my life to
the Fatherland Front"
II will represent contribution
to my people"
After the pleas, the court re-
cessed until Tuesday.
Defense Assails u. S.
Defense lawyers, who completed
their addresses to the court this
morning, denounced Western cap
italism and American church mis-
sion boards as "the real masters"
of the Is, just as did the prosecu-
ton. Georgi Mehskov. defense
lawyer, assailed the American
radio voice of America in speech.
saying:
II raise the voice Of distrust
against the drunken voice Of Amer
lea, which said last night there
is no religious freedom in Bull
garia."
The trial has been under way
q week.
Both British and American Off
cials here said the e'overal pattern
of the proceeding appeared to be:
/. To discredit the United States.
Britain and the Western church
missions;
2. To cut Bulgarian protestants'
last ties with the Western chur-
ches, especially the World Council
of Churches, on the ground that
they are dangerous to national
SeclIritv.