I was reading a bit about lustrace in Czechoslovakia, Solidarity in Poland (and Jaruzelski's trial), and the removal of the Stasi from power in East Germany, and realized I don't know much about what happened in the other countries (i.e. Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, etc.). What happened to people who were part of the secret police of these other states, or who were communist officials?
Were they kept from holding future positions? Were they put in jail?
I know it's a broad question, but I'm hoping someone can give me a basic idea :).
as for Hungary. much data is still under protection, and what was opened for publics is heavily censured.
what is for sure, that in 1989 we had a silent change in the system. no bloody revolution, no former leaders shot etc.
what is also sure, that we had the Dunagate Case. what is roughly that former secret service members started destroying sensitive secret documents short before the change of the system, and continued to monitor the opposition even after that happened. some rumors say that the complete substance of the old secret service (except the commanders) were enlisted by the newly found national safety office.
the Constitution of Hungary was changed in 2012, and there is a new article (article U) about the responsitbility of the former communist leaders. it roughly states that the communist party and all of its organisations were crime against the nation, and those who controlled and upkeeped it have to take the responsibility for its crimes against the nation.
here is a nice article about how one experienced the opening of the secret service archives.
also in 2010 the government said they have a list with the name of 50k former communist agents on it, but it stays secret for now. an interview with a former intelligence operative director about how dangerous would be to come up with that list.
sure, some of the names leaked out, causing shock and astonishment, but now, after a few years we remain calm if a new name comes out. despite the fact that many owner of the leaking names are active politicians.
there are still demonstrations (one was held this year earlier) about the missed settling, so i guess some still want bread and circus ... or a more concrete change of the system?
to answer your questions.
the former communist leaders still live happily ever after. their pension was cut badly in 2013 though.
since they were such indispensable experts on their field, lots of the former officials continued their career with the new system.
no info about the imprisonment of former communist officials. maybe they were put in jail silently or not at all. the legal background to sue the former leaders was made possible with the change in the constitution in 2012.
so if they find a still living example ( they dug up the former communists first leader's grave in 2007 and stole his bones ) we can start the exorcism.
as a bonus: another book long article about 1989 with the title Was it? a silent? revolution?
if you reached this point of my comment you deserve an anecdote:
more like a political joke.
When the russian front reached Hungary everyone was afraid from the ruszki and the red horde. Those who had a horse or a small land were afraid they would be called kulak (~rich farmer) and will be taken to the gulag (~work camps). In a small village lived an Arrowcross Party officer, and it was well known that he was the snitch of the gestapo aswell. Anyway, this former officer was having a good time in the local pub each night, ordered live music and let the wine flowed. One day a soft hearthed local warned him: