SATELLITE CONCENTRATION CAMPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: May 6, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
CENTRAEINTELL3IGGCE ti6ENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
Bulgaria; Poland; Rumania
Political - Concentration camps
PUBLISHED 4 Dec 1952 - 27 Mar 1953
LANGUAGE Turkish; French; Greek
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Of T.. V. T.. IT.r.I; ?IT.IF ............ T11.1 I.. I..b... rR
.,SOURCE
REPORT
CD NO.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. May 1953
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SATELLITE CONCENTRATION CAMPS
STATISTICS ON SATELLITE FORCED LABOR CAMPS -- Istanbul, Aksam, 29 Jan 53
Munich, 28 January -- According to a Paris Populaire article no date
give, there are 220 forced labor camps in the USSR; they hold 7 million
prisoners. The same article also gave the following statistics on forced
labor camps in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, and East Germany:
Year
No of No of
%a-ss Prisoners
1948
2
5,700
1951
30 50,000
October 1952
175 180,000
1953
371 250,000
1953
200,000
(plus
300,000
sent to the
USSR)
50,000'
(plus
700,000
sent to the
USSR since
World War II)
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA RDP80-00809A000700110068-3 1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3
GREEK PRISONERS IN BULGARIAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS -- Athens, To Vima, 10 Feb 53
Paris -- According to reports from Sofia, Greek military and political
prisoners, who were taken to Bulgaria by the Greek Communist guerrillas, are
still being kept at the concentration camp at Persin. Up to a few months ago,
they numbered 180. Another 300 Greek prisoners-have been sent to Siberia.
DATA ON BULGARIAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS -- Athens, Stratiotika Nea, 15 Feb 53
According to information from Bulgaria and reports from Bulgarian refu-
gees, 8,000 prisoners are. being held without trial at the Helene Island con-
centration camp. These prisoners live under terrible conditions. Since 1951,
1,000 of them have succumbed to torture and disease.
Athens, I Kathimerini, 27 Mar 53
London -- According to information from Sofia, 8,000 prisoners are being
held under especially terrible living conditions in the concentration camp
located at the outskirts of Svishtov, Bulgaria. Most of these prisoners,
among whom are civil servants, officers, and intellectuals, have cxntracted
tuberculosis. Also, cases of insanity have been noted.
In addition to the Bulgarian prisoners, there are many foreigners, espe-
cially Yugoslavs, Greeks, Turks, and Macedonians, in this concentration camp.
The Macedonians, who were taken prisoner during 1951 on the pretext that they
were in contact with the Yugoslav Macedonians, number about 400. Even though
these prisoners are undernourished, they are obliged to work 8 - 10 hours a
day, cutting down trees and constructing roads.
Athens, Stratiotika Nea, 8 Mar 53
Information from Sofia states that, besides the large concentration camps,
there are 25 prisons in Bulgaria in which 20,000 political prisoners are held.
However, the exact number of hard-labor concentration camps is not known, be-
cause they are numerous and scattered in various secluded spots.
The prisoners live under the worst conditions from the viewpoint of liv-
ino quarters. food, and medical care. Those prisoners who survive their prison
term and are released still belong to a separate class. They are watched con-
tinuously by secret agents of the militia and do not enjoy even those small
privileges that are granted to other citizens. Every member of their families,
as well as distant relatives, is watched continuously while the prisoner is
detained, as well as after he is released. One restriction placed on the pris-
oners' relatives is that their children are not permitted to study in higher
schools.
POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMP NEAR JAROCIN -- Athens, Le Messager d' Athens,
21 Jan 53
A new concentration camp at Wicszyel, near Jarocin, only has a few hun-
dred prisoners at present. It is expected that it will soon be able to hold
3,000.
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3 0
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3
STAT
MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST PRISON ESCAPES IN RUMANIA -- Istanbul, Akeam, 4 Dec 52
Munich, 3 December -- Mines have been planted around prisons in Rumania
where political prisoners are held. These measures'were'taken because of the
increased number of escapes from these concentration camps.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700110068-3