|
|
The execution of the 12 young men from the village of
Vatasa, near Kavadarci was carried out by the Bulgarian fascist army on
16 June, 1943.
Nevena Hadijordanova, the sister of the executed Vaso
lived to tell this story. She survived together with three other girlfriends
from the village.
"They gathered us from our houses early in the morning.
One by one they brought us in front of the village inn. Twelve young men
and four young girls, all of us members of the antifascist organisation
from Vatasa.
When they brought me in front of the village inn, those
that were already there were facing the brick wall. But they still saw
me and I gave them a little smile. One of the Bulgarian soldiers noticed:
"Laugh, laugh!!!. Enjoy your last laugh."
After that they called us one by one to go inside the inn
for questioning.
"Questioning and brutal torturing." When they called
me inside, I saw my friends with ripped shirts and bruises on their faces,
around their eyes, and their bodies.
The twelve young men, me and my three girlfriends were
asked the following questions: "Tell us where the Partisans are?, Who brings
them food?, Tell us while you're still alive!!!. No-one from us said a
word.
- I don't know!, I didn't hear!, I didn't see! - those
were the only words said by their dry lips. Four hours of hearing and torture
- from 8:00 a.m till 12:00 noon. No-one said a word.
After the hearing and torture, the 12 young
man were lined up two by two.
They left accompanied by the army and police. They even
took us - the girls outside. We left accompanied by the sergeant and two
agents. As soon as we got outside, we saw our friends on the bridge. They took
them up stream the river Luda Mara. The members of the antifascist group
from Vatasa gathered at that spot.
Hotness! Tiredness! The agents returned. We - the four
girls tried to see our friends, but the road upwards is curved. That is
why we could not see them until we reached the top, at Duloro Dovce. The
young men were sitting down. Then they were ordered to get up. They were
pale and bruised.
My brother Vaso was one of the oldest in the group. It
appeared that he felt the danger, and that is why he said: "Sergeant.
I will go back to close the inn".
-Your father will close it - answered the Sergeant.
They took us through the narrow track in a row by one,
downwards to the river Luda Mara. The young men were walking in front, and
then us the girls. One soldier came close to me and whispered: "You will
see what will happen now".
-What? - I asked him whispering.
Then an officer came close, yelled something and interrupted
the conversation.
-Sit down! - commanded one officer.
We - the four girls were standing aside. Some of our friends were
just sitting down. My brother, probably convinced that a catastrophe was
about to happen, did not sit down, but he started running towards the river.
-Dime Cekarov and Gerasim Matakov started running after
him.
-Shoot! - a command was ordered.
All of the weapons held in the hands of the ten fascists
fired. They fired at those who were running and at those who were sitting
down. All that could be heard was the sound of shots being fired and the
screams of the wounded. The nine young men that were sitting down did not
move. Their bodies were filled with bullets. Some ran after the three that
were running away. Dime was wounded in the shoulder. The young men continued
to run. Then the shooting stopped. The mad killers were returning to the
group.
-Would you like to see your brother? - said the commander.
-No, I do not want to see him the way he looks now! - I answered.
 Then, the Bulgarian police and soldiers stabbed the young
men in their hearts and some of them were still showing signs of life.
Another thing was left undone - to take their belongings. They took their
pocket wallets, hand watches and also other belongings.
On the way back, when we entered the village, the people
saw that we were returning without our friends. It was clear what had happened.
Instantly we could hear crying from all sides of the village. The fascist
killers said: "Here are the girls" - to the head of the village, and one
officer ordered me to call my father.
-Lazo, your son was guilty! We killed him and the other
boys. Here is your daughter and don't let her go outside.
The whole village was crying everyone even the kids went to
the place where the bodies of the twelve young man were. They dug up a trench,
because they were threatened not to move the bodies to the village. They buried them
and they said their last respects.
| Back |
|
