DECREE SAFEGUARDING STATE AND SERVICE SECRETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R006000100009-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 2012
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: August 23, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/01 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006000100009-4
COUNTRY Bulgaria
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
F TI REPORT CD NO.
CLASSIFICATION S: r ~''i/coNTRO U. S. OFFICIALS OTIY
USJECT Decree Safeguarding State
and Service Secrets
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DATE DISTR. 23 August 1950
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED DELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. S0.45910
1, Due to the demands of the Soviet Goverment,, the Bulgarian Goverment has
prepared a new decree concerning the defense of State and Service secrets,
This decree, elaborated by the Ministry of Justice, in reality is the result
of various Soviet orders. The initial author of the decree was Veselin M.
Y.".arkava inspector general of the Militia in the General Directorate of the
State Security,
2. The decree has not been published yet and is very secret. It has the
following aims:
a. The safeguarding of information on the different State organizations.
o, The forbidding of the use or dissemination of certain information
which would endanger the state security.
c. The forbidding of coanication with the enemies of the republic.
3,; The decree defines "State secrets" as all information, documents, at cetera,
which frava the viewpoint of defense, security,, and the economic or political
interests of the Bulgarian People's Republic or the satellite countries, can
be communicated to no one.
4, The decree interprets the words "news, information" as all written or verbal
inf'orrition covering a subject even slightly; by the word "documents"0 the
decree means all uniting, type-written letters, printed material, lithographic
material, even extracts, envelopes, writing on walla, on any subject. In
the category"document" are included all notes and invitations, meeting programs
or public celebrations, doctors' prescriptions., restaurant menus. Under the
terns "other things" are included things such as photographic film, plans,
sketches, maps, articles on Bulgarian production and raw materials.
5. The decree forbids not only the communication of "State secrets" to foreigners
but as well to Bulgarian citizens who do not have the right to know such
things. This law applies as well to the members of the family beginning
with the wife. The comnn.mication of information which is considered as a
state Secret by an official to his family is considered as a crime arrainst
the state,
STATE,
ARMY IX
CLASSIFICATION S :Ri /CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS( ONLY
RIBi1T10N
ST
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A R
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/01 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006000100009-4
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/01 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006000100009-4
S]i1E /C0NTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
CI TRAL Ii1TELLIG] NC AGEUCY
S, The official in charge of an office does not have the right to decide which
information is secret. He does not have the right to speak to anyone an
subjects touching Bulgarian political economy, or financial or military
questions, or to criticize government orders .. (the same rule covers all the
satellite states). The right to classify inforation belongs only to those
people who are specifically responsible.
7, The decree punishes severely not only the communication of information of
documents or other things, but also the gathering and of keeping information,
even shaving an interest in gathering information or of keeping informed
(no person has the right to keep documents at his home, service papers, copies,
protocols, notes, notices, specifications; even to keep information on the
personnel of the service which he controls is forbidden the citizen). The
aecree punishes not only voluntary activity but also involuntary activity.
8, Voluntary activity or voluntary collaboration of the above nature is punished
with 25 years at hard labor. Extenuating circumstances could reduce this
punishment. Different degrees of punishment are mentioned for the accused
and their families, going as high as life imprisonment.
9. This decree is directed against State nployeos as well as against all private
citizgne; it covers the ex*tAre Bulgarian population.
10. This decreemeitionc Service Secrets" a term which has never before been used
in Bulgarian legislation. These are documents, and other types of information
which are in themselves harmless and which could formerly be given to a person
not in the service.
11L the Soviet insist,,.ice that this decree be published can be explained by the
extremely grave strategic situation of Bulgaria
Several changes the ma posts of the a e ecur ana in the Jut# have
not produced the desired results and the Soviets have decided to install
a legalized regime of terror.
S CRLT/COI3TROL - U, S, OFFICIALS OflLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/01 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006000100009-4