Political Prisoners
The third group of deported, in addition to POW and civilians were Hungarians sentenced by Soviet tribunals for "anti-Soviet activities". These included the following categories.
- Former soldiers who served in occupation forces in the Soviet territory
- Members of paramilitary youth organization Levente of teenagers who had to serve in auxiliary forces by the end of the war
- High-ranked officials and non-leftist politicians
This group of prisoners was sent to Gulag camps, rather than GUPVI.
During de-Stalinization, the sentences of the survivors were annulled and 3,500 former convicts returned home. The total number of convicts was estimated by the organization of Hungarian Gulag survivors Szorakész to be about 10,000.
Read more about this topic: Forced Labor Of Hungarians In The Soviet Union
Famous quotes related to political prisoners:
“An inquiry about the attitude towards the release of so-called political prisoners. I should be very sorry to see the United States holding anyone in confinement on account of any opinion that that person might hold. It is a fundamental tenet of our institutions that people have a right to believe what they want to believe and hold such opinions as they want to hold without having to answer to anyone for their private opinion.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)