crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje

Crimes committed by totalitarian regimes
All such construction sites in fact represented large labour camps. This was wilfully concealed
all through the post-war period and Slovenian historical books presented the construction of the above
facilities as great “work victories” and as “important economic achievements of socialism”. Such
large construction facilities did of course demand a large labour force, ranging from manual workers
to experts; therefore the courts and administrative authorities massively issued sentences of forced,
correctional and socially beneficial labour. Among those receiving such sentences prevailed so-called
class enemies such as former entrepreneurs, large farmers (“kulaki”), priests, etc.; there were also
many workers and professionals (technicians and engineers). In order to achieve the highest possible
productivity, management of labour camps introduced the so-called brigade system, norm work and
particularly competition as the “highest form of the socialist attitude to work”. 25 In this manner camp
management achieved its goals: that persons convicted to forced, correctional and socially beneficial
labour “voluntarily” and considerably exceeded the already high working norms.
The system of exploiting these convicted persons was cruel and inhuman, even more so if we take into
consideration that among the convicted persons, many of them were not fit for physical work. The administrative
authorities had no reservations, particularly in issuing the forcible administrative sanction of socially beneficial
labour, because they imposed such sanctions also on people who were elderly, sick, pregnant and even disabled.
Excessive labour, poor alimentation, poor health and hygienic conditions, and physical and psychological
mistreatment of convicted persons in labour camps resulted not only in their exhaustion or illness, but often
also in death. Some convicted persons also died because of frequent work accidents, since their security was not
well provided for. So in 1949, seven persons died while serving sentences of correctional labour, and in 1950,
six convicted persons died. The reasons for their death are not stated.
3.1.1. Camps for forced labour
Camps for forced labour that were officially called “penal camps” were established in Slovenia soon
after the war ended in 1945. Their establishment was directly related to trials against so-called enemies of
the people that were massively conducted before the military local courts and before the Slovenian National
Honour Court in July and August 1945. After the abolishment of military local courts and the Slovenian
National Honour Court at the end of August 1945, the criminal justice over civilians was taken over by the
civil courts that could issue to the convicted persons sentences of deprivation of liberty with forced labour
under the existing criminal legislation. The military courts alone sentenced several thousands of people to
forced labour sentences in the period from July to August 1945. Such multitudes of convicted persons could
not, of course, be accommodated in prisons; therefore the Communist authorities foresaw the establishment
of the so-called “penal camps” already prior to the implementation of mass trials for the persons convicted
to forced labour. The first penal camp was established by the Military Court of IV Military Zone at the
Command of the town of Kočevje. 26 However, not even this penal camp was enough for the multitudes of
persons convicted to forced labour; therefore the establishment of new penal camps was planned. In light of
this, the military and court department of the Military Zone of IV Army called on the local military courts,
by a special circular letter of 6 June 1945, to search for appropriate places where new penal camps could be
established. With respect to the locations of such camps, here were some instructions: “The most appropriate
locations would be larger castles or military barracks that are located in the vicinity of railways and places
where the labour force of convicted persons will be exploited, for the purpose of transporting the convicted
persons to the place of work most rapidly and without special difficulties.” 27
New penal camps for forced labour were then established in the same locations where former
concentration camps had stood. In the period from 1945–46, the following four penal camps for forced
labour existed in the territory of Slovenia:
– Penal camp Kočevje;
– Penal camp Teharje;
– Penal camp Brestrnica near Maribor;
– Penal camp Studenci near Maribor.
25
ARS, AS 1267, sign. arh. of the unit: 9/507, Report on certain problematic issues in terms of sentence implementation of 15 June 1950.
26
ARS, Main Headquarters of Slovenia, box 122, Map I, Circular of the military court department of Military Zone of IV Army at
commanding posts of areas and commanding posts of towns from 6 July 1945.
27
Ibid.
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