Petar Cukon

„It was in autumn 1941. It can be seen on every step. That was told to us by our troops from Medulin to whom we made contact. Italian army was on the streets in Ljubljana to search. There had already been partisans. There had already been resistance, and at nights through flyers that kind of organization Osvobodilna fronta would ask their citizens somewhere between 8 and 9 p. m. or 7 and 8 p. m., to abbandon public premises and return to their homes. During that hour no one should be on a public premise. And when that hour expires everyone should get back to the city. That was a type of quite demonstrations and even us where we lived, would take part in that...those demonstrations in evening, because then the silence would come. No one could be seen in Ljubljana, in the city and public premises.“

„The first remark I heard from a judge...he said: „Why did they send us that children like they are adult boys?“ We were all youthful, young and Special court deals with more serious subjects. That how he thought, he didn't want to deal with some boys but as they were commenting, one of them countered. Mi were able to listen because that to was wery near us... 3, 4, 5, meters away. Our benches were in a shape of a semicircle and down was their table. It was six or seven of them, I have list of their names. So he says: Those youngsters are dangerous, there are, there are dangerous ones.“ Anyway it ended there. They began with calls in order. One by one we would come in front of judges. He asks: „Who are you? What are you? – because it was written that we were members of organization Slavo – komunista. When I came in line one fascist general said: „What kind of Slav are you with name Cukon?“ I responded that they had changed our names, surnames. Then he angrily asked me: „Then what was your name before?“ I said: „Cokun.“ I had heard earlier that a doctor Cukon used to have his name written as Cokun (Cokun). Anyway we did, back then it was a very good excuse to prove with our surname that we are Croats although that is most certainly incorrect (his surname Cokun)..., but that came in hand as response. While I was with him, as it were, debating; one of his fascists in the Court said: „I had told you, I had told you, don't change surnames“ As if he accused him that surnames didn't had to be changed, as if that contributed to Istrian resistance against fascism.“