Treaty of Neuilly/Part V

Part V&mdash;Prisoners of War and Graves

Article 105
The repatriation of prisoners of war and interned civilians who are Bulgarian nationals shall take place as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and shall be carried out with the greatest rapidity.

Article 106
The repatriation of Bulgarian prisoners of war and interned civilians shall, in accordance with Article 105, be carried out by a Commission composed of representatives of the Allied and Associated Powers on the one part, and of the Bulgarian Government on the other part.

For each of the Allied and Associated Powers a Sub-Commission, composed exclusively of representatives of the interested Power and of delegates of the Bulgarian Government, shall regulate the details of carrying into effect the repatriation of prisoners of war.

Article 107
From the time of their delivery into the hands of the Bulgarian authorities the prisoners of war and interned civilians are to be returned without delay to their homes by the said authorities.

Those amongst them who before the war were habitually resident in territory occupied by the troops of the Allied and Associated Powers are likewise to be sent to their homes, subject to the consent and control of the military authorities of the Allied and Associated armies of occupation.

Article 108
The whole cost of repatriation from the moment of starting shall be borne by the Bulgarian Government, who shall also provide the means of transport and working personnel considered necessary by the Commission referred to in Article 106.

Article 109
Prisoners of war and interned civilians awaiting disposal or undergoing sentence for offences against discipline shall be repatriated irrespective of the completion of their sentence or of the proceedings pending against them.

This stipulation shall not apply to prisoners of war and interned civilians punished for offences committed subsequent to 15 October 1919.

During the period pending their repatriation all prisoners of war and interned civilians shall remain subject to the existing regulations more especially as regards work and discipline.

Article 110
Prisoners of war and interned civilians who are awaiting trial or undergoing sentence for offences other than those against discipline may be detained.

Article 111
The Bulgarian Government undertakes to admit to its territory without distinction all persons liable to repatriation.

Prisoners of war or Bulgarian nationals who do not desire to be repatriated may be excluded from repatriation; but the Allied and Associated Governments reserve to themselves the right either to repatriate them or to take them to a neutral country or to allow them to reside in their own territories.

The Bulgarian Government undertakes not to institute any exceptional proceedings against these persons or their families nor to take any repressive or vexatious measures of any kind whatsoever against them on this account.

Article 112
The Allied and Associated Governments reserve the right to make the repatriation of Bulgarian prisoners of war and Bulgarian nationals in their hands conditional upon the immediate notification and release by the Bulgarian Government of any prisoners of war and other nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers who may be still retained in Bulgaria against their will.

Article 113
An Inter-Allied Commission for enquiry and control shall be formed for the purpose of:

(1) searching for non-repatriated Allied and Associated nationals;

(2) identifying those who have expressed their desire to remain within Bulgarian territory;

(3) establishing criminal acts punishable by the penalties referred to in Part VI (Penalties) of the present Treaty, committed by Bulgarians against the persons of prisoners of war or Allied and Associated nationals during their captivity.

This Commission shall consist of a representative of each of the following Powers, viz: the British Empire, France, Italy, Greece, Roumania and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.

The result of the enquiries made by this Commission shall be transmitted to each of the Governments concerned.

The Bulgarian Government undertakes:

(1) to give every facility to this Commission, to furnish it with all necessary means of transport; to allow it free access to camps, prisons, hospitals and all other places; and to place at its disposal all documents, whether public or private, which would facilitate its enquiries;

(2) to impose penalties upon any Bulgarian officials or private persons who have concealed the presence of any nationals of any of the Allied or Associated Powers, or have neglected to reveal the presence of any such after it had come to their knowledge.

Article 114
The Bulgarian Government undertakes, from the coming into force of the present Treaty, to restore without delay all articles, money, securities and documents which have belonged to nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers and which have been retained by the Bulgarian authorities.

Article 115
The High Contracting Parties waive reciprocally all repayment of sums due for the maintenance of prisoners of war in their respective territories.

Article 116
The Allied and Associated Governments and the Bulgarian Government will cause to be respected and maintained the graves of the soldiers and sailors buried in their respective territories.

They agree to recognise any Commission appointed by any one of these Governments for the purpose of identifying, registering, caring for, or erecting suitable memorials over the said graves, and to facilitate the discharge of its duties.

Furthermore they reciprocally agree to afford, so far as the provisions of their laws and the requirements of public health allow, every facility for giving effect to requests that the bodies of their soldiers and sailors may be transferred to their own country.

Article 117
The graves of prisoners of war and interned civilians who are nationals of the different belligerent States and have died in captivity shall be properly maintained in accordance with Article 116 of the present Treaty.

The Allied and Associated Governments on the one part and the Bulgarian Government on the other part reciprocally undertake also to furnish to each other:

(1) a complete list of those who have died, together with all information useful for identification;

(2) all information as to the number and position of the graves of all those who have been buried without identification.