By Kastriot Dervishi
Memorie.al / It can rarely happen that a person, in addition to his mother tongue, speaks five other languages, such as: English, Greek, Armenian, Turkish and Italian. In addition to his high military education, he was known for his deep sympathy for the champion country of democracy, the United States of America. This was Dino (Kostandin) Shani. The departure of the American mission from Tirana in November 1946 brought a heavy wave of arrests and beatings for the people who had been connected with this mission. His visitors, those Albanians who had no other purpose but sympathy for America, fell prey to an unusual barbarity of the Security executioners. The communist regime showed low brutality with them, as it massacred them, kept them in the interrogatories, executed them or imprisoned them for a long time. This was not enough, but together with him, in order to create the idea of a group, there were also people with whom he only did shopping, bought meat, onions, or grapes for consumption.
Dino Shan’s death sentence
On 8.10.1946, Dino Shani was interrogated at the Directorate of the Military Prison in Tirana. He introduced himself as having been born in Istanbul; he was 36 years old, married, with complete education. He had started studying at the American elementary school (finished in 1929), the Technical School in Tirana and higher education, the military in Italy. At the time of Zog, Dino Shani, had been a lieutenant in the army, in 1937, he had fled for personal reasons. After a stay of 13 months in Italy and 8 months in Greece, he came to Albania on 15.3.1939, joining the ranks of the Albanian army again. This was influenced by the fact that Dino’s father, Mihali, was King Zog’s personal tailor.
With the advent of the fascist regime, Dino remained an officer until 15.9.1939, when he was released “for health reasons”. In December 1940, until March 1944, he worked as a clerk at the National Bank. So far, Dino Shani’s life is going normally. As a pro-American, he was simply a visitor to the American mission in Albania. The other parts of the investigation are not publishable, as Dino rejected them during the trial, as untrue. On 31.10.1946, is his last interrogation? Then there will be a long silence, an unimaginable isolation.
Minutes for Dino Shani
Accusation and trial
Only on 31.3.1948, the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Tirana would send to the Garrison Military Court, the indictments for the defendants, friends of Dino Shani.
The Military Court of Tirana, led by Captain I Abdyl Hakiu (chairman), Captain II, Shaban Rezha and candidate Thanas Hima, with the prosecutor, Captain Petrit Hakan, started the trial against a group that had been held for almost 2 years in the investigator:
- Dino (Kostandin) Shani, son of Mihal and Andromaqi, born in Istanbul and living in Tirana, graduated from the technical school in Tirana, as well as the Military Academy in Modena, arrested on 27.9.1946. At the beginning of the process, he said: As far as I am accused, they are not true and I do not accept them. I don’t accept the minutes, because I didn’t do it myself, but I hardly signed it”.
Dino has rejected the accusations of the prosecution that accused him of “American agent”, “leader of spies”, etc. “I have sympathized with the Anglo-Americans, but not to become their spy” – claimed Shani. At the end of November 1944, he went to the American military mission.
On December 15, 1944, he met Captain Tomas Stefani in the mission, to whom he sent a cake for Christmas. “I sympathized with American democracy, as I grew up with that spirit,” Shani declared. Such issues as agrarian reform, taxes, etc., he did not welcome.
- Fori Vardhami, son of Gol and Poliksen, 30 years old, born in Tërbuq Tepelena, resident in Tirana, carpenter, arrested on 29.10.1946. He denied all accusations, saying that he “didn’t know any of this”, that he heard.
- Xhafer Lika, son of Muharrem and Mihanes, 34 years old, born in Tapiza, tree seller, arrested on 29.10.1946, stated that; he had signed the minutes of the investigation, but he didn’t even know what was written there.
- Shyqyri Kodra, son of Ali and Emine, 28 years old, born and living in Tirana, dairy merchant, arrested on 29.10.1946, stated that; he did not accept the accusations and did not recognize the record, as it was not made by him. He claimed he didn’t know Fultz or the other things being written about him.
- Telemak Dilo, son of Vasili and Fotina, 25 years old, born in Labovo, Tepelena, 6th grade, arrested on 29.10.1946. It was accused that; had also de-conspired the work assigned by the People’s Protection.
- Stefan Cara, son of Llukan and Mides, 32 years old, born in Përmet and living in Zhera, educated in economic sciences. His father was killed by the Germans, arrested on 28.10.1946. He declared that; did not accept the charge. He also threw the investigator out of the game, as he did not accept his own statements presented.
- Misto Vardhami, son of Gol and 32 years old, born in Tërbuq Tepelena, resident in Tirana, carpenter, arrested on 29.10.1946.
Prosecutor’s claim
“It is necessary for me to point out the personal life of the accused Dino Shani” the prosecutor of the case started his indictment. Dino Shani’s normal past is analyzed as if within it, there are many agent activities. This from the years of his military career, in which personal issues were also mixed, until November 1941, the time when the American military mission was established in Tirana, where he met with Nick Cooky and Njohne Okof.
“In December 1944, Dino Shani, brought the first fish to the mission, a cake on the occasion of Easter, and for this he was given as a counter-gift, a fish 1,000 francs and a pack of cigarettes” – accused the prosecutor of espionage. Dino had served as an “unorganized informant” – said the prosecutor. Dino Shani takes the largest part in the indictment, while the others are accused of being paid by him to provide information.
Penalty of the first degree
With decision no. 221, dated 7.4.1948, the court gave the sentences as follows:
- Dino Shani, by death, shooting.
- Misto Vardhami and Telemak Dilo, with 10 years in prison.
- Shyqyri Kodra, with 7 years in prison.
- Xhafer Lika, with 5 years in prison.
- Fori Vardhami and Stefan Cara, with 3 years in prison.
With the exception of the latter two, all of them had their property confiscated and lost their political rights at the time of their conviction.
Dino (Kostandin) Shani
The last letter
It bears the date 10.4.1948.
“I had no knowledge of Sami Qeribashi’s organization” – wrote Dino, in the letter addressed to the Supreme Military Court, in which he continued to deny that he had served as an informant for the Americans. “I don’t have any assets, I’m married and I’ve been working for a living” – claimed Dino.
Supreme Court
With decision no. 181, dated 21.4.1948, the Supreme Court, composed of Major Niko Ceta, First Captain Nexhat Hysen and Second Captain Mustafa Iljazit, with the Prosecutor First Captain Nevzat Hazdenari, changed the decisions for Telemak Dilo, sentencing him to 7 years in prison and for Shyqyri Kodra e Misto Vardham, to 5 years. He left the other decisions in force, taking final form.
Execution of Dino Shani
On 27.4.1948, Dino Shani was executed. In the presence of the prison commander, Lieutenant Adem Skëndaj, the delegate of the Security, lieutenant Maqo Pecani and the military prosecutor captain Petrit Hakan. Memorie.al
