Bulgarian Accusations Are Completely False

Chronicle (Levin), 14 March 1949, Page 5

Bulgarian Accusations Are Completely False

Received Sunday, > p.m. LONDON, March 12. The British Government has sent a Note to Bulgaria in which it descri'bes as "completely false," statements relating to the British Legation in Soiia made in the alleged confessions of defendants at the reeent trial of 15 Protestant pastors. Some of the pastors said they took part in espionage at the instanee of members of the British Legation. The charges made against the former British Vice-Consul in Sofia, Mr. Stanley Burt-Andrews, are specifrcally stated to be untrue. The British Note says that the whole of the testimony in the soealled confessions has been rendered suspect by "the clear example of misrepresentation" in the pastors' "confessions." The trial convinced the British G-overn-ment that religious freedom in Eastern Europe was under a deliberate general attack and that Bulgaria had no intention of giving effect to its solemn obligations under the terms of the peace treaty which guaranteed fundamental freedoms of its people. The British Government has received a Note from Bulgaria stating that Mr. Denis Greenhill, first seeretary of the British Legation at Sofia, has been dealared persona non grata as the result of evidence given at the trial of the Bulgarian pastors on espionage charges. Reuter says Mr. Greenhill 's name was mentioned several times during the trial, mainly by the chief accused, Ziapkov.