Memorie.al / It wasn’t just Spaçi’s revolt. In 1973, even the women imprisoned in Kuçovo had erupted in revolt, forcing the communist regime of Enver Hoxha to reflect on the terrible conditions in the prisons. On May 24, 1973, in Spaçi Prison, what is known in the official documentation as; “Revolt of Spaci”. Calls for the overthrow of the dictatorial regime were fueled by a series of grievances related to inhumane treatment in the camp. But it seemed that the situation in all prisons and camps in Albania was terrible. The cells were overcrowded and the conditions below all semblance of humanity had sparked revolt everywhere.
A full 45 days after this event in Spaç, which shook the knees of the communist regime, another revolt erupted in Kuçovë, on July 9, 1973, this time by a group of women prisoners who had exploded their cells and fought with the guards of prison.
The following information was compiled by the Berat district prosecutor at that time, Orhan Frashëri, and is addressed to the Republic’s General Prosecutor, Dhori Panariti. He explains in detail all the links of the event, while after this letter, the General Prosecutor, Panariti, makes an analysis of the situation, explaining that the severe conditions in the women’s prison in Kuçovo had led to the outbreak of this revolt.
REPORT-INFORMATION OF THE PROSECUTOR OF BERAT, ORHAN FRASHĖRI, FOR THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR OF THE REPUBLIC, DHORI PANARITI, ON THE INCIDENT IN THE WOMEN’S PRISON IN KUCOVE
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
DISTRICT PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
(Sec. IV)
No. 226 Prot.
Berat, on 12.07.1973
GENERAL PROCUREMENT
TIRANA
INFORMATION ON THE EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON 09.07.1973, IN WARD 318 OF THE CITY OF STALIN
The command of Ward 318, of “Stalin” City, starting from June 1973, for non-activation and refusal to participate in work, had placed 17 convicts in prison, and 3 in solitary confinement.
The other convicts had signaled that during free traffic hours, the 17 convicts, through the outer door, were given food items and cigarettes.
On 09.07.1973, around 3 p.m., internal guard Leonora Kristo found the convict Pranvera Ceri, who was taking a bag full of food and cigarettes. Since this action was contrary to Chapter VI of the regulation, regarding the security and internal regime of prisoners in the camp, the internal guard immediately notified the Ward Command which, towards the prisoner Pranvera Ceri, although she was previously convicted, again Isolation measures were taken, his hands were tied and due to lack of space, he was left in the inner corridor.
During this time that this convict is standing in the corridor and tied up, the other convicts in the prison regime try in an organized way to help their friend and for this under the leadership of the convict Yllka Tare, they energetically jump into action with in order to go out into the corridor and protect their friend.
In order to achieve this goal, they began to break the door of the isolation room with their hands, in the upper part, by knocking down a piece of board, and then, with their strength, they broke the upper part of the wall and, therefore, they all came out in the inner corridor. Here they immediately jumped into action, plucking the ends of the matchsticks, after collecting them they placed them on the bars and then set them on fire, hoping to choose the hands of their friend Pranvera Ceri.
This action did not yield any results. Then, in order to counteract the service personnel, the convicts were provided with boards and tiles, from breaking the door of the isolation room. The convicts had decided who would report to the ward command, for all these actions that were being carried out by them, they would take measures, beating him to death. They had also urinated in gourds, so that when the service personnel came, they would throw them in their faces.
The command of Ward 318, being in front of this abnormal situation, put the ward on alert, notified the Internal Affairs Branch of Berat and requested that other policemen come to help, since the convicts categorically refused to leave the corridor and to be put in isolation rooms.
In these circumstances, the Ward Command, to stabilize the situation and avoid any unexpected action, acts by force, tying up 10 other convicts who had also beaten the convict Gjyleta Arshini, who had informed the Ward Command.
Convicted Gjyleta Arshini was beaten so much that she was injured and for this the doctor’s report was received for “slight injury”. While the convicts persistently refused to leave the corridor, the convict Yllka Tare shouted louder: “Let them find out who we are. They have nothing to do with us”, etc.
The command of the ward regarding this matter, there was no signal that these open actions would be carried out, in order not to strictly apply the internal rules of the camp and, especially, to accompany their open opposition, with the breaking of the door, the collapse of the wall, going out into the corridor and protecting their friend, the convict Pranvera Cere.
Even in the operative way, there is no data related to the development of this event, which openly expressed the dissatisfaction that these convicts have towards the service personnel and in general the implementation of the orders given to them, on their part. The colleagues of the Department of Internal Affairs, have put the task on the operational road, to make concrete whether there is an enemy element inside the camp.
Taking into account the danger of committing illegal actions by the convicts, based on material evidence, the criminal case was started against 11 convicts, for the crime of insulting the representative of power, paragraph II, as well as for the crime of injury. We have decided to finish the investigation very quickly and in cooperation with the court, inside the camp, we will organize the trial.
Taking cause from this event, the fact that during 1972, measures were taken for 56 cases of violations of camp rules and 31 were punished with disciplinary measures, the fact that for the first 6 months of this year, there were 34 cases of violations of the rules, quarrels, beatings and insults by the convicts to each other.
As well as the fact that the women convicted for this event who participated were convicted of ordinary crimes and, especially among them there are repeat ones, the investigation and quick trial, as well as the punishment, will have a positive effect on the women convicted, in order to implement the regulation on the administration of the camps as well as any order given to them by the service personnel.
Based on this issue, in order to fight here and there any manifestation of liberalism on the part of the service personnel in the camp and to increase their revolutionary vigilance, we think that the following measures should be taken as a matter of urgency:
1 – To analyze in the meeting of the personnel in the camp the causes which influenced the development of this extraordinary event in the camp.
2 – Together with the colleagues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Head of the Department of Internal Affairs, Comrade Sami Kamberi, we concluded that the camp is not secured as required and, especially from the outside on its outskirts, urgent measures must be taken to strengthen it.
It was also suggested for the addition and expansion of the camp and especially the segregation of the convicts.
3 – Based on this issue, the time has come to study the increase of personnel in the camp’s organization, because as the organization is, not only has the number of convicts increased compared to the past, but it is difficult to implement the demands of regulation, in terms of service to convicts as well as their security.
We propose, if it is deemed reasonable, to organize a joint meeting of our central bodies: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the High Court, where the heads of the three above-mentioned bodies of those districts where there are prisons and camps are called .
In this meeting to increase revolutionary vigilance in the spirit of Comrade Enver’s recent speeches, guidelines should be given on how to maintain the relationship between education and coercion in the conditions of prisons and re-education camps.
The District Prosecutor’s Office, taking cause from this case within the month of July, will review the situation in the camp and the measures to be taken in terms of strengthening the control of legality.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
(Orhan Frashëri)
THE INFORMATION OF THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR, DHORI PANARITI, SENT TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPS, HAKI TOSKA, ON THE REVOLT OF THE WOMEN’S PRISON IN KUČOVĆ
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
Right. Cont. Deed. investigative)
No. 2298/
Tirana, on 26.10.1973
SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF APS
(COMRADE HAKI TOSKA)
TIRANA
Attached we send you the information “On the condition of convicts in Ward 315 City-Stalin”. We have also sent this information to our friend Kadri Hazbiu.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
(Dhori Panariti)
Sh. plantain,
I also gave sh. Qemal Myrseli to look at it.
31.10.1973
Haki Toska
I received notice.
03.11.1973
Qemal Myrseli
REPORT-INFORMATION OF THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR, DHORI PANARITI, ON THE SITUATION OF THE WOMEN’S PRISON IN KUCOVE
INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION OF CONVICTS IN WARD 315
“STALIN CITY”
During 1972 and until February 1973, the placement and separation of female convicts in Ward 315 in “Stalin City” was according to the criteria defined in the regulations. After this period, the situation has changed and, as a result, the criteria of the regulation for the sleeping of convicts have been violated.
The capacity of sleeping rooms in the ward is only for 180 convicts, while the number of convicts is always increasing. In the previous years and during 1972, no more than 190 convicts served their sentence in the ward, starting from May 1973 until now, the number of convicts for various crimes has reached 296.
Having during the 6-7 months of this year, an increase of almost 120 convicts more than last year, the command of the department had to place more convicts in the sleeping rooms than the capacity they have . Likewise, the criterion for placing convicts according to crimes has also been violated.
Even women convicted of more than two crimes are placed together in the rooms. Violation of the criteria of the regulation has a negative impact on the re-education of convicts.
As a result of the increase in the number of convicts in this ward, during this year the treatment room and the laundry room were also turned into bedrooms. Such a situation has worsened the maintenance of a regular hygienic-sanitary environment in the bedrooms and in the corridors. Besides these, today 40 convicts sleep on the ground, on cement.
Under these conditions, we think that quick measures should be taken in order to fully implement the requirements of the regulation. Memorie.al
Tirana, on 22.10.1973
ATTORNEY GENERAL
(Dhori Panariti)
