Todor Anastasov (1932-2023) was born on September 23, 1932 in Pleven in the family of an officer in the Bulgarian King’s army. After 1944, his family was forcibly resettled to Botevgrad. In November 1951, together with two friends of his, he made an unsuccessful attempt to leave Bulgaria. Because this was forbidden at the time, he was arrested and sent to Belene for two years, without trial or sentence. After Stalin’s death in August 1953, the camp was closed and Todor served only 7 months of his sentence. After his release from Belene, he was able to enroll in a university and graduate with a degree in physics in 1960. He worked as a teacher in Pernik, then at a research laboratory, and in 1963 he became a research associate at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. After the fall of the communist regime, Todor Anastasov was the chairman of the Union of the Repressed by Communism in Bulgaria.

Todor passed away in late December 2023 at the age of 91.

Velichko Velev was born on March 18, 1933 in Boyana, Sofia. His father’s restaurant was expropriated at the onset of communism, along with all the family’s property and assets. His father narrowly escaped execution, and the family lived in a tent in their own yard. As a student, Velichko actively supported the Goryani movement, an armed resistance movement against the communist regime, and organized armed student resistance groups. Velichko was arrested in April 1951 and over the course of six months he was subjected to systemic beatings, starvation and torture. In very poor physical condition, he was sent to the Belene labor camp without a sentence. Velichko was interned in Belene from October 1951 until September 1953.

Цветко Георгиев е роден на 26.02.1935 г. в с. Потоп, общ. Елин Пелин. Баща му е убит при престрелка с комунисти в Македония, а семейството му е обявено за „кулаци“. Цветко се включва в опозиционна организация, заради което е арестуван и съден за „въоръжена борба против народната власт“. Исканата присъда е смърт, но накрая на процеса Цветко получава 12 години затвор. Въдворен в Белене през октомври 1953 г., Цветко остава там до май 1955 г., когато е преместен в затвора-болница в Кюстендил, защото е болен от туберкулоза. После го местят в затвора в Пазарджик, откъдето е освободен през юли 1956 г. След освобождаването си Цветко е принуден да работи тежък физически труд, работи в мини и пещи в Кърджали, Перник, Горна Оряховица. След 1989-а година е активист във възстановения БЗНС „Никола Петков“ и е съветник на неговия лидер. Заместник-председател е на съюза на репресираните.