On the political assassinations, arrests and persecution of the opposition by the neo-communist regime in Albania

Memorandum by Josefina Topalli, Deputy-Speaker, Republic of Albania People's Assembly, Tirana, October 1998

The neo-communists who stepped up in power after the June 29, 1997 elections in Albania, have continuously applied the platform of the physical elimination of the political opponents, of oppressive violently the Albanian opposition, by considering it a domestic enemy to be destroyed. On these grounds, during their 18 months in power, there have been killed for political reasons lots of members, supporters, local leader, local authorities, lawmakers of the Democratic Party. There have been wounded, ambushed, maltreated and arrested hundreds of DP members and supporters, terrorist acts have been committed against the local and senior central leaders of the Democratic Party.

All these, besides one single case have not been followed up by the investigation of the neo-communist government. Below, is the chronology of the political murders, wounding, terrorist acts, political jails on the opposition during the last 18 months in Albania.

August 21, 1997, at 18:30 was gunned and gravely wounded by a police car the opposition journalist Mujo Bucpapaj and his family. Eye-witnesses testify in written that Bucpapaj was machine-gunned by a police vehicle. Until today, nobody has been penalized on this crime. Bucpapaj is known for his anti-Communist articles.
August 24, 1997, TNT was planted at the home of the Mayor of Lushnja, Fuga. There were no casualties and the government kept a complete silence. Nobody is charged so far on this criminal act.
September 5, 1997, TNT was planted at the home of the mayor of Lushnja, Fuga. The house was gravely damaged. The government was silent and so far nobody has been penalized.
September 18, 1997, Azem Hajdari, the leader of the 1990 December Students' anti-Communist movement that toppled the 50 years long communist regime in Albania, senior leader of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament in all the legislations of pluralist Albania suffered an attempted assassination in the premises of parliament. He was shot with five bullets by the Socialist MP Gafur Mazreku.
September 28, 1997, TNT was planted at the home of Roland Bano, chairman of the Lushnja district council. Nobody has been penalized on this terrorist act.
September 29, 1997, TNT was planted at the home of Myftar Babaj, the chairman of the District Council of the Vau i Dejes. No penal process has been conducted.
November 22, 1997 at 14:30, the chairman of the Sineballaj commune, Adrian Murrani, 30 years old was murdered. Nobody has been punished or penalized for this murder.
December 9, 1997, at a coffee shop of Saranda town the Democratic Party activist, Edmond Zisi was maltreated and taken to the police commissariat where he was massacred and his mutilated corpse was thrown in the street a few meters from the commissariat building. Eye-witnesses confirm that Zisi was arrested because he dared to shout “down with Fatos Nano”. His mutilated corpse was full of fractures.
January 6, 1998 in the Cernica village of Tropoja, gunmen in Tropoja police vehicles, murdered at 11:00, three significant Democratic Party leaders, A. Matoshi, Dizdari, Kolbucaj. The killers among whom the ex-chief of the Tropoja commissariat, Haklaj, who before the June 29, 1997 general elections was a wanted person by the police for two murders and after these elections was nominated in this post by Prime Minister Nano, are all free in their homes.
February 14, 1998, a police check-point in Milot stopped MP Hajdari and the former Interior Minister in the National Reconciliation Government, Ali Kazazi together with 15 persons accompanying them. During the control exercised on them by the police in the presence of the Lac prosecutor, no guns were found. The Prosecutor affirmed this fact on the state-owned TV the same day. Despite this statement by the prosecutor all the detained persons by the police, but for MP Hajdari, including also the former Interior Minister Kazazi were arrested. Ex-Minister Kazazi was confined in prison for two weeks and three months in home arrest, while all the other persons were kept in jail for three months. The trial process continues without any grounds.
March 3, 1998, the Vlora police on no reason at all, hits with strong means and wounds gravely in the police commissariat, the chairman of the Fier Municipal Council, Durim Lekdushi. No investigation has been conducted on this act.
April 14, 1998 at 22:00, 80 special police forces from Tirana, surrounded and shot with heavy fire guns at the window of the home of Bujar Suli, in Levan of Fier. Mr. Suli was killed at his bedroom, in front of his wife and children. The next day, the Interior Minister that Suli was a wanted person. The Fier Police Director, General Mehja who in sign of protest against this state-organized crime resigned, declared on April 15 that Suli has not been a wanted persons but he worked as a guard in Levan School. Suli was an honored person. The Commune Council on May 13, 1998 proclaimed him “Honorary citizen” and proposed that the Levan school keep his name.
June 3, 1998 myself and a group of the Democratic Members of Parliament, went to Tropoja to meet the Kosova arrivals. At about 22:30, the MPs Hajdari-Chairman of the Defense Parliamentary Commission and Minarolli-Vice-Chairman of the Media Parliamentary Commission were ambushed in the town and their car was shot with tens of bullets, two of which wounded gravely the ex-General Director of the Albanian Radio and TV, Bardhyl Pollo, who was in the same car with them. This happened as a result of the rejection by the Tropoja police chief to my request, before the event, to accompany the MPs Hajdari and Minarolli during their stay in Tropoja, who answered that it was not his duty and that the police would accompany only the Deputy-Speaker of the Parliament, Mrs. Topalli and myself. A week before the vent, the Interior Minister informed through the MP Vejsiu that an attempted murder was being prepared by the Yugoslav Secret Service. As a matter of fact, we posses documents and facts for the direct involvement of the police in this terrorist act. So far, neither myself, nor the other MPs that were ambushed have not been interrogated any investigator about this terrorist act.
June 22, 1998 at about 14:00, 14 Democratic Party supporters, among whom also two DP National Council members, during a working meeting in Postriba were shot be assault gun by the bodyguard of the Socialist MP of that constituency. As a result, the Chairman of the Commune Council of Postriba, Sadik Ymeraj was gravely wounded. The state owned media did not report on this crime and until now no investigation process has begun. The criminal is free at home.
May 22, 1998 Fredi Shehu, the one that pulled down the statue of the communist dictator, Hoxha in 1991, in Gjirokastra was shot dead at the gate of his home. All the local political forces declared that that was a political murder.
June 9, 1998, in Permet, the chairman of the Zhepov village, Bajram Sedari was killed by the Socialist Part member, Sulo Jaupi. No measures have been taken against him.
June 28, 1998 the day of the second round of partial local elections in Vora, the police stopped on no reason at all the MP Ukaj and the DP National Council member, Biberaj.
June 29, 1998 in Erseka, 16 Democratic Party members have been arrested on false charges for an event on June 30, 1997. Given that the Erseka fact court refused their arrest, the case was transferred in another town.
July 13, 1998, the police ambushed and exercised violence on Genci Spaho, the chairman of the DP section in Pilur of Devoll. No measure against the policemen that carried out this brutal act has been taken.
July 18, 1998, Ndue Cara, the democrat councilor of the Puka town-hall was attacked with gun fire and was wounded, while he was driving from Puka to Tirana with a patient and family members. The police has not followed up the case.
July 17, 1998, the car of the former Speaker of the Albanian parliament, Pjeter Arbnori, member of the DPA Steering Committee was blocked by the police.
July 24, 1998, The local reporter of the Albania daily in Fier, Artur Bega, was beaten publicly by Dhimiter Kumanaku, an ex-bodyguard of Fatos Nano. The police has not captured the author of the crime.
July 27, 1998, Vangjel Naska, the DP councilor and chairman of the group of DP chancellors in the Ura Vajgurore, Berat was wounded, by volleys of bullets on the car he was driving back home. Nobody has been investigated on this criminal act.
July 31, 1998, The DP member of Parliament, Shaban Memia was ambushed by numerous policemen and officers of the secret service (SHIK), in the afternoon. The police checked his car and sequestered the personal belongings of Mr. Memia. He had bought them in Italy and had the regular documentation to prove that. His belongings are still not given back to the MP, Memia. He was blocked contrary to all the laws of the Albanian customs and in full contradiction to the law on the immunity of the member of parliament. The political prosecution demanded the parliament to lift Memia's immunity. This request was not accepted by the parliament, while the belongings of Mr. Memia continue to be sequestered.
July 31, 1998, The distinguished Kavaja democrat, Halim Gjuzi was assassinated by people close to ex-premier Fatos Nano. The assassination happened in the middle of the day, under the control of the police, that helped the killer, identified as the notorious criminal Nehat Kulla. The police went to the place of the crime too late. So far the killer has not been made public since the investigations have been interrupted. Gjuzi was driving a car with his family members in, as he was shot by the killers, who then left helped by a police vehicle.
July 31, 1998, Bedri Myftari, journalist was beastly beaten in the afternoon, at coming out of the printing house “EuroRilindja” together with a friend. He was beaten by two person who then got on their motor-cycles. The journalist had fractures in his head and leg. The police has not investigated on this case.
August 8, 1998, TNT was planted at the house of the ex-Lushnja major, Kujtim Haxhiu, which blasted after midnight. Mr. Haxhiu is the DP secretary of the Lushnja local branch. There is no investigation on the case.
August 22, 1998, On the order of the Tirana Military Prosecutor, six senior officials of the DP Government were arrested late after midnight in their domiciles. Safet Zhulali, ex-Defense Minister, Blerim Cela, ex-chairman of the Audit Office, Halit Shamata, ex-Interior Minister, Gen. Bujar Rama, ex-vice-chairman of SHIK, Col. Kreshnik Lusha, Gen. Sokol Mulosmani were arrested on the accusation of the crimes against humanity in contradiction to all legal norms for detaining the civil persons. After the arrest they have been isolated in the prison 313 of Tirana and were not allowed to communicate with their lawyers for several days.
August 25, 1998, 33 DP member who protested against the Nano government were beaten brutally. Some of them were arrested for several hours and them released due to the protests in front of the Interior Ministry. The police beat several demonstrators and injured them.
September 8, 1998, Agron Bala, the director of the Radio “Contact” was beaten by an unidentified person at the location of the radio station he runs. The police did not start investigations on the case.
September 9, 1998, TNT blasted at 04:00, in the domicile of the DP lawmaker, Ilir Bano in Lushnja. The house was ruined, but there was no victim. The terrorist act aimed at the life of MP Bano. No investigation has been conducted on this terrorist act.
September 12, 1998, The DPA MP, Azem Hajdari was assassinated at 21:15 in front of the DP headquarters. He was killed together with his bodyguard Besim Cera, while the other bodyguard Zenel Neza was injured to death. Mr. Hajdari was the chairman of the Defense Parliamentary Commission, member of the DPA Steering Committee and hero of the 1990 anti-Communist students' movement that toppled the communist regime in Albania. The assassination was committed by identified persons, high police officers, and secret service agents. There is evidence of the direct implication of the chef of the Albanian Secret Service (SHIK), F. Klosi.
September 13, 1998, In front of the prime ministry building Skender Kalenja was killed, 40 peaceful demonstrators were injured, among whom 10 were women and five children. Round 18 injured persons were hospitalized who declared they were wounded by the guards of the prime ministry.
September 14, 1998, Adem Shehu was shot dead by police snap-riffles. A DP supporter and the leader of the Independent Trade Union, he was killed back home from the funeral of Azem Hajdari.
September 14, 1998, 20 participants in the funeral procession of MP Hajdari, Besim Cera and Skender Kalenja were wounded by shotguns. The 20 hospitalized declared they were shot by policemen and soldiers who opened fire on the crowd holding on their shoulders the coffin of Hajdari.
September 14, 1998, Member of the DP local branch of Burrel, Isuf Uka was murdered in the streets of Tirana. That day Uka had postponed his wedding day to honor the death of his friend Azem Hajdari.
September 17, 1998, Political prosecution demanded the revocation of parliamentary immunities of the opposition leader and the former President of Albania, Sali Berisha and the MP's Arbnori, Memia, Minarolli, Demi and Gjana. The Parliament lifted the immunity of Mr. Sali Berisha, chairman of the Democratic Party by obeying to the request of the special political prosecutors who accuse Mr. Berisha of organising the coup d'etat.
September 17, 1998, Agron Matoshi, the brother of the martyr of democracy, Adbyl Matoshi murdered in January 1998 was arrested on the motivation, “participant in the funeral procession of Azem Hajdari”.
September 20, 1998, Alfons Zeneli, director of independent radio Contact and Ilir Zhilla, ex-director of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency were arrested on the accusation of the organizers of the armed insurrection. The prosecution has announced the penal follow-up for many other journalists and reporters, such as Antoneta Malja, Luan Malltezi, Mentor Shehu, Arta Sakja, etc.
September 24, 1998, The chairman of the Legality Movement Party (the third in the country) together with the ex-chief of the Tirana police commissariat No. 2, Sali Shehu(who defended Tirana in the most difficult day of March 1997 communist insurrection) were arrested on the accusation of organizing the alleged armed insurrection.
October 1998, The police of Librazhd maltreated barbarously Avdulla Bardhoshi, chairman of the Commune Center together with the DP supporters Qemal Abazi, Agim Leka, Ladi Daja, Ylvi Prushi, Fatmir Omeri and Met Cela. The grounds of their beating were their political convictions.
October 1998, Prime Minister Pandeli Majko signed official order to discharge all the state administration civil servants that paid homage to the hero of the Albanian democracy, Azem Hajdari on September 14, 1998.