Memorie.al / Niko Braçi were an ELAS soldier, engaged in the structures of the Albanian State Security in Gjirokastër, in 1944-1949. A letter written by him, addressed to the Central Committee of the Labor Party of Albania, in February 1949, reveals important details that prove the criminal activity of the State Security, the debauchery in its ranks, as well as smuggling with Greece, during when they visited the neighboring country, on a secret mission from the State Security. In Niko Braçi’s letter, characters engaged in the notorious structures of the State Security are revealed; some of them appear in the list of the most vicious executors of the crimes of communism. Veli Bakiri is on this list and turns out to be one of the most prominent names, as a persecutor in the time of communism. In those lists, there are well-known names of the time, pop singers who appeared on the black and white screen of the communist era, as the favorites of the dictator Enver Hoxha.
The letter is in the form of a self-criticism addressed to the party, since the author, Niko Braçi, was apparently released from the State Security and from his commitment to the Army. After the punishment, he sent this letter, which contains his self-criticism for what he had done while working in the Security structures in Gjirokastër. At the same time, he also evidences strong criticism and accusations against his Albanian and Greek minority superiors and colleagues, in the years when he worked in these structures.
It is noted, the immorality, the pressure on women, to exploit them sexually, the scenarios of fraud against the residents and falling into the trap of the Security, of some of those who wanted to leave Albania for Greece. There is evidence of violence against the residents of the surrounding areas. What stands out in this letter is the statement: “I was a little immoral”, which is accompanied by the rosy stories of his associates, with the women of the surrounding areas, mainly those who were forced to become associates of the State Security.
Below is published the full text of ELAS’ Greek letter, as written by him, with linguistic errors, accompanied by a facsimile of the letter obtained from the State Archives.
Death to Fascism
Freedom of the People
Central Committee of the Party P. Shqipnis
Signed Niko Braçis.
A member of the Greek P. Party, who was part of the Greek anti-fascist organization of Gjirokastra, and with services under the Gjirokastra Security Section, with the job of captain, I submit the following:
With the Resolution of the 11th Plenum, I did not self-criticize and criticize my mistakes, which were presented to me as a member of the party and as an organ of the Security.
Since the job of Security is a special and reserved job, for this I send you my self-criticism and criticism.
I am a soldier from Ellas, who came to Albania in April 1945, because I was being chased by the Greek monarcho-fascists, and since then, I am in favor of the Security authorities and in my daily work these mistakes have been found .
Self-criticism; I’m a little talkative, both with the people and with my friends, I and the people have not behaved arrogantly, but the people were afraid of me, not as a person, but as an Argon of the Security.
We are a little immoral.
At the beginning of 1945, when I worked in the Security, until the beginning of 1946, I did not have the instructions for work and I worked as my mind expected, when someone crossed the border to Greece and when returned to Greece, I arrested them and kept them under command and then released them.
In December 1945, I went to some huts in Goranxi village at night, to check with dogs that the harvests were coming from Greece, and I provoked a boy, who supposedly I am Greek and I want to be connected with Vangjeli Gogoni, from the village, good but no they understood and didn’t tell me. I arrested him, I gave him 4-5 spanks and I held him for one night and the next day, I let him go; I did this with my head.
I paired K. Gogoni with our colleague, not with the intention of marriage. On April 23, 1947, a boy escaped from the village of Llongo, and the command of the company, Llozgo, arrested the father of the boy, Anastas Vasili, and another comrade named Ziso Liango, from that village, without any reason.
In cooperation with the commissars of the company, we beat Ziso and put him in jail. The command kept him for 2 days and released him. I beat two palms, Vasili Bruzo, from the town of Llozgo together with my supervisor, n/lieutenant Nikolla Ndriçon.
I beat on the order of my supervisor, Lieutenant Nikolla Ndriço, and I threatened two people, from Bularat village, Gligori Gaxhijan and Nikolla Mastaku, because they supposedly had a group, and this information had _____ a prostitute.
Nasho Nika and Nasho Nika told me that this group was organized and that this was completely fake. In 1947, Dhimitri Çamati, from Kakavijë village, was arrested by the border forces, who were accused of allegedly cutting the telephone line.
He was accompanied to our prison in Vriseras, where I beat him and put him in the corundum. There are also some small things, which I don’t remember.
I criticize Thanas Nika, now in the section of the 1st Security of Gjinokastra. He married Th. Karasu, from the village of Sotire, sent her to Greece, allegedly for formalities, which is not true, because she had her family in Athens and as she said, she will return, which did not happen and in his ___________ he said which was taken over by the Greek monarcho-fascists.
I criticize Thanas Nika and his brother, who was also in the first sections of Gjinokastra, Koço Nika. These two had as an informant, who allegedly brought information from Greece, but this was smuggling, which is called Vasillo Bicuni. This carried socks, umbrella wires and other things.
This is how I prove it; that in 1946, in February, this started from Llongo with a soldier named Jani Nasto, from Sofratike, with socks (£18) booty. Well, but the monarcho-fascists realized that this was contraband and they waited at the border to rob it.
Good, but this got out of your hands, when we saw such a thing; we were forced to open fire against the monarcho-fascists, for 2 hours. With the above-mentioned woman, Nasho Nika and Koço Nika, they did sex work and smuggling and shared the money.
I criticize Thanas Nika, Anastas used to send Vasili from Llongo to Greece, for information, well, but Anastas brought contraband from Greece, for one and other things, finally they didn’t send him anymore, because of the lack of trust that Anastas told me that; bring whatever you want from there. How did he fire him, he ate 15 days of wages, Anastasi himself declared to me.
I criticize Thanas Nika, who excommunicated P. Shinga from Jergucat village, because she has her son-in-law who escaped from the ranks of our army. Crossed the border supposedly for formats, which you don’t do. When she went to Jan, she exposed her forgery and said about my father, Aleksi Braçi, who is related to me and my Albanians, which is how she was convicted with her statements.
I criticize Veli Bakir, the former head of the Security Section of Gjinokastra. After you had reprimanded me for 5 days, in sections of Gjinokastra, allegedly accusing me of having connections with Greek couriers who came to our land, me, Lieutenant Nikola Ndriçon and Kristo Barimi.
This information was given to me by Nasho Nika, so that Veli Bakiri would warn him and not believe that I have compromised with the Greek couriers, which we cannot catch.
I criticize the director of the Gjinokastra Security branch. Chap Niko who has sent Lieutenant Xhembro Ismailë and, in cooperation with us, three members of the Security. We provoked a woman ourselves, to escape to Greece, so that we can capture her – as we finished this, we captured the woman named M. Gjoka from Sotire, who is in prison today. That’s the end of it.
I don’t remember anything else; maybe I have other things left. For all these mistakes, which have been presented to me as a person, the reason is that I have remained in a sector for 4 years, without giving me the proper instructions from my superiors and not even giving me personal promotion, that this is true that my friends others, have made the most serious mistakes of mine, they did not come out in the mass, because they were transferred elsewhere.
But today I was released from Security, as well as the Army, from the opinion of the people and we ourselves prove this, that the people had a bad opinion of us. But we, as communists, give our word of honor in the party that we will correct these mistakes by working towards the right line of our Party and the people and the cause against the internal and external enemy./Memorie.al
With social honors
Member of P.P. Greek
Niko Braçi (company)
Tirana 19/II/949
