By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part four
Memorie.al / It was the morning of September 1, 1976, when the workers of the Fishing Enterprise who were the first to arrive at their workplace located on the shore of Lake Shkodra near the village of Shiroka, found that the guard of the enterprise of that sector was surprisingly missing, as well as the office staff, something that had never happened before?! This is because, among other things, there was also the pier where all the fishing boats were anchored, which, tied with chains and locked with a key, were considered objects of special importance and were under the control and double guard, both by the fishing enterprise and by the Border Post located in the village of Zogaj, where the state border with Montenegro, at that time part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of Marshal Tito, was also located.
Although a torrential and stormy rain continued to fall, which had started since midnight, the fishermen began to look for the guard and the foreman of their company, calling them by name, but in vain, because no one answered? But after a while, they were stunned and terrified, when just a few meters away from the fish warehouse, they saw a corpse lying on the ground with no signs of life…! It was the 50-year-old guard, Fadil Rizaj, who had been serving in that position for several years. No one dared to touch him with their hands, because not only was he bloody and with visible marks on his head and body, but his hands were tied with rope from behind his body and also his respiratory organs, tied with a cloth behind his head…! Which clearly meant that he had been killed…!
After that scene of horror, some of the fishermen ran to the offices to call the heads of their company and the Internal Affairs Branch as well, but the telephone line was cut and the connection to Shkodra could not be established…! Meanwhile, from other checks to find the company’s wreck, it was also found that one of the boats (fishing boats) was missing from the pier on the lake shore, precisely the one known as; “Health Boat”, and the safe that held their keys, was broken with a crowbar!
Meanwhile, the alarm was given and there were some of the officers and main chiefs of the Shkodra Internal Affairs Branch, who immediately determined that not only were they dealing with a serious crime, but also with an escape by boat across the lake, which, among other things, would also aggravate their position before their superiors at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tirana. Meanwhile, the news spread and the investigative group with the relevant experts immediately began work to uncover the crime that had occurred and unravel the entire event, which a few days later would shock not only the city and district of Shkodra, but also Tivar, Titograd and Ulcinj in Montenegro!
But what had really happened, who and why had killed the fishing guard Fadil Rizaja? How many people had escaped and what had happened at midnight on August 31, as September 1, 1976 dawned, as a heavy rain fell with thunder and lightning, which was said to have never been remembered, even by the oldest residents of those parts? Why were several dead bodies found on the shore of the lake on the Yugoslav side and another corpse on our side of the border, near the border post in the village of Zogaj? How was the main author of that escape able to swim to the part of the lake that belonged to the border of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on that dark night with rain, waves and storm?
Who was Hamit Arif Myrto and what did he initially say to the residents of that area, when they saw him completely naked in the alleys of their village, as well as to the competent Yugoslav authorities, regarding the reasons for his escape? What did the UDB authorities ask Hamit during the investigation process in several separate offices in Tivar, Titograd and Ulcinj, where they sent him, frequently changing his location, his “cellmates” and the investigators who interrogated him? What did he testify to when they asked him about the military bases and units, the missile unit and other installations that were located at that time in the Shkodra district, as well as the tracts that were dropped in that city those days, against the Party of Labor and Enver Hoxha?
What did Hamit tell the UDB bodies, regarding his brother-in-law, a minister in the government headed by Mehmet Shehu, and also one of the closest people to the dictator Enver Hoxha, who remained in that position until the collapse of the communist regime? Who was the “photographer” from Shkodra who had escaped to Yugoslavia a few years ago and why were all the investigators asking Hamit about that person? Why did the Yugoslav UDB authorities decide to return Hamit Myrto to Albania, handing him over to the Albanian State Security bodies, even though they were convinced that he had not been sent on a secret mission?
What did Hamit testify during the investigative process, such as the reasons that had forced him to undertake that dangerous adventure, and also everything he had told the UDB? What did Hamit write in the letter addressed to Enver Hoxha to the Minister of Defense Beqir Balluku and how was it possible to find that letter in his house in Shkodra? What did Hamit’s family members, relatives, neighbors, work colleagues, the brigadier, the director of the Fishing Enterprise, the chairman of the People’s Council of the “Partizani” Neighborhood where he lived, and other people who were called to testify against him, testify during the investigation process, in the fall of 1976?
Why was the trial of Hamit Myrtos held in the village of Shiroka, how much was he convicted by the Shkodra District Court, the Criminal College of the Supreme Court and why did the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, leave their decisions in force, for his death sentence (by hanging) even after that terrible tragedy that had happened to him; where he lost his entire family? What were Hamit’s last words before the firing squad and why, to this day, has his grave not yet been found?!
Regarding these and other of the most serious and tragic events that the Shkodra region and Montenegro experienced in those years, we are informed by the archival documents of the voluminous relevant file that Memorie.al has provided, which we are publishing in several issues (with the relevant facsimiles and photos), with the sole purpose of shedding light and making known the monstrous crimes that occurred at that time, where Albanians, in order to escape the communist hell, were forced to undertake the most dangerous adventures towards the state border, just like the main character of this event, Hamit Arif Myrtja!
Continued from the previous issue
MINUTES OF THE INTERROGATION OF HAMIT ARFIF MYRTJA BY THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE SHKODRA INTERNAL BRANCH, JAKE TEFIKU ON OCTOBER 7, 1976
Minutes
Today, 7.10.1976, I, Jake Tefiku, investigator at the Shkodra Internal Affairs Branch, interrogated the defendant Hamit Arif Myrtja.
The questioning began at 16.00
Question: Continue to show the itinerary, in the direction of the border crossing!
Answer: As I explained in the morning, as soon as I got out on the lake and headed towards the waters of the Yugoslav part, exactly at the time I was crossing Shiroka, it started to rain and wind. I immediately told my wife, Hasija, to take out the sail to put it on the boat, but I had forgotten it at the Fishing Center, because I forgot it and did not find it on the boat, and I had remembered that I had taken it.
The wife told me that the bag is not on the boat. Since it was a good time when I set off across the lake, I didn’t think to take a container like a bucket, or any other object to have on the way to discharge the water that could be put into the boat. I crossed the lake close to the land at a distance of about 700-800 meters, I oriented myself with the lights of the village of Zogaj.
Continuing the way across the lake, I was greatly hindered by the wind that was coming at us and getting stronger, the rain also continued to fall and increased in a stormy form, but I had no intention of getting close to the land and getting off, to save myself and the lives of the children, because it was on the edge of the Albanian state border, I had the idea that as soon as I crossed Zogaj, I would then get close to the land to disembark there.
As I continued my journey towards the Yugoslav side, the boat kept filling with water, I was alone at the oar, my wife was huddled in the middle of the boat holding the three small children to protect them from the rain and she was not helping me at all in sailing to relax. When I saw that the boat was filling up with water from the pouring rain, I thought of using the woman’s handbag that she had brought with her to drain it, I immediately used it without wasting any time, but it did not work, as it had a lining on the inside and did not help me drain the water.
While I was struggling to steer the boat and unload it, from the rain that continued to fall like never before, I saw that I had left the border post of the village of Zogaj, orienting myself by the electric lights, but from the lightning and the storm, I saw that the lights went out for a few seconds and did not come back on, this completely disoriented me and I lost my way, not knowing where I was. The weather was getting worse and worse, the boat was filling with water.
In my opinion, I say that at this moment it was completely foggy, thunder and rain were falling non-stop and with great pressure, I must have been on the edge of the limit, the condition of the boat was very serious, I myself was very tired and exhausted, the hope of salvation was very small, I decided that in order to save the condition of the boat, I would throw the mattress that I had taken to sleep the children into the water, move the children and the woman from the stern of the boat and give her by hand, that by smoothing it as much as I could, the partial end of the water.
There was only 10-15 cm left. without filling with water, I told my wife that we were drowning, we had little hope of salvation, the wife called out in a low voice, where for us, immediately grabbed the children, I thought at that moment to jump in to relieve the condition of the boat and get it sailing, I did not step on the side of the boat because it was tilting and sinking completely, but I overtook it and started pushing it from behind, with the aim of tilting, telling the wife to move her children away from me, while I was preparing to tell the wife to come towards the tail of the boat, she fell on the other side in the water, and the children on the other side, crying.
The noise started with crying, I, for fear of being dictated to, lost my strength and ran and swam towards the children, but I saw nothing but black shadows on the lake, I could not catch any of them from the storm that swept them away, I turned to the other side of the boat and saw the woman who wanted to swim to save me, I approached her and with the intention of grabbing her from behind by the hair, because I was afraid that she would catch me and drown, but the one who wanted to swim, kicked me in the ribs and caused me pain, I could not control myself, I went so confused and leaned on the side of the boat that at that moment was full of water, the woman disappeared into the darkness of the night and I did not see her again.
In these moments of confusion and fatigue, I had lost hope that I would be able to save the children, I gathered myself and dived, giving myself time to remove my clothes because they were hindering me a lot in swimming, I swam with one hand and with the other I took off all the clothes I had, I always thought that I could find the woman who had not yet drowned, or any of the children to save, this was in seconds, I continued the search by swimming in a large area, the weather was very gloomy and dark, the storm continued without stopping, it also rained and these hindered me a lot in being able to save any of them.
I continued the search until I saw that I had no more hope and everything was over, I was so tired that my strength was about to leave me, I was in danger of drowning myself. I could not orient myself where I was, I could not find the land and which side I had. While I continued searching for my wife and children, a boat suddenly appeared in front of me. I approached it because I thought it might be the body of my wife, but in vain. It was a boat. I thought I had left this one behind, but this one appeared in front of me. I lost it because I didn’t know whether I was in Albanian or Yugoslav waters!
I swam, giving myself courage. From the lightning, I saw land in the distance, but I wasn’t sure. I was quite far from it. I took the direction to get out. The continuing storm and rain prevented me. I went towards it and finally arrived at the edge of the lake on land. There I came out almost out of breath. I lay there for about 15 minutes.
I looked around where I was, but I didn’t know if I was on Yugoslav or Albanian soil, I thought and gathered myself, that the lake to cross into Yugoslav soil, must be left on the right side. So, I decided to cross over the land, not going too far from the edge of the lake, I crossed a piece of road carefully in the darkness of the night, but the land had many obstacles with stones and bushes, these caused scratches and pain in my feet that were barefoot, after crossing a piece of road, I noticed a fence, 1/2 meter high, a little further a beacon of light, I realized that I was on the border fence of the fatal line.
I crossed it carefully without touching it, entered the other part that was Yugoslav land, but again I was not sure, I passed some thorns and bushes that caused cuts and blood on my thighs and legs, I continued along the lake’s edge to find some shelter, or a stone bracket to protect myself from the heavy rain that continued to fall without stopping, I went and entered a stone recess, but it did not protect me, it began to get dark, I moved back towards the lake’s shore.
I forgot to say that when I came out of the water, I looked at the clock in the light of the lightning and it was 03, and I saw that there was still water left, I realized that from the Fishing Center to there, I had done three hours. There I realized that at the time my children and wife had drowned, I was on the edge of the border and that it had been a matter of seconds to get down to Yugoslav soil, but time prevented me and caused all this. Until the light came on, I changed places a few times and took shelter on a rock by the lake, because I was afraid that I was completely naked and only in my underwear. When the light came on, I carefully observed where I was. Above where I was standing, I saw a group of trees and on top of the trees some houses. I also noticed at the end of the village in the distance that there was a pier, here I realized that I had entered the Yugoslav part of the land.
I decided to go to the village, I went up towards those houses, without reaching the village, I went into some gardens and there I picked some grapes and ate them, then I passed through some village streets and headed towards the houses. It was the early hours of the morning, just as the day had fully dawned, while I was walking towards the houses, I saw a 17–18-year-old boy who let go of his sheep and came towards me. When he approached and saw me naked, for a moment he was stunned and scared, he spoke to me in Nashke, I told him that I am Albanian and that I come from Albania, I told him that today down here in the lake, my boat and three children and wife drowned, I want to surrender to the Yugoslav authorities. From there he called his family members.
Immediately three men came towards me, when they got a little closer, they did not meet me, but they communicated with that Nashke boy, and as I understood it, they said with hand signs, take him to X. This boy picked me up and took me to a person, who as I later learned, had been a Yugoslav communist, I could not learn his name, he was about 45 years old. When we arrived there, he shook my hand, the boy who accompanied me told him in Albanian that he had come from Albania and wanted to surrender to the Yugoslav authorities, he took me inside the house, gave me a pair of clothes to wear, and these were the ones I was wearing, and invited me to eat bread, but since I was very upset about what had happened to me, I did not eat.
This communist asked me why I had escaped, and I explained in detail the method of escape and the reasons that led me to do such a thing. I also explained to him about the incident with the wife and children. The boy who accompanied me made me come out and in fact he did, this communist said to him; “Go ahead and come, that’s what the job requires,” he promised. Within seconds, three other men from that village arrived and after learning about the incident and my purpose for escaping, they told me that we were heading towards the lake and we could find and save the children. I told them that the three children and the woman are no longer alive, and I am sure of that, but I want you to help me find their bodies.
Continuing the conversation with this communist, he asked me and was interested in whether or not I had people in Yugoslavia with a residence permit, he asked me in detail where I was from and I told him in detail. He was not interested but asked about any person here in Shkodra. He told me that we would both go and hand over to the Yugoslav authorities in Tivar. The boy who accompanied me at the beginning also came, the three of us went on foot along a new road that had been opened for vehicles.
There I learned that the village where I appeared was called “Skije”, we traveled for about 1 hour on foot, on the way they asked if there was a church and a mosque, if there was private land or not and I told them that there was none. When we arrived at the place, they took me to, which according to them was called Tivar, it was a village with a few houses, with mountainous terrain, where they took me was a two-story building, downstairs there was a club, in front of the club they sold and traded fruits and vegetables, there weren’t many other houses or centers. Even where I went up to the second floor, there weren’t many offices, maybe two or three of them.
I was interrogated by two people, one of them knew Albanian, while the other didn’t know what they were, from the government or from the UDB, I can’t explain, they were civilians. They asked me in detail why I had escaped, I explained that my income as a fisherman had decreased, and I was feeling bad about the economic situation, I explained that I had no home to live in, I told them how I escaped across the lake, the killing of the guard, the taking of the boat, and the drowning of my wife and children in the lake.
At first they did not believe me and called me to tell the truth, when I told them the details of the guard’s murder by me, they started laughing at each other, not believing me and said how is it possible to kill the guard, the guard is not alone but a second person, I tried to convince them of the truth of my statements. After they took these from me in writing, they invited me to sign them. They were handwritten and I do not know if they wrote my words or not. I signed them with my signature.
In the afternoon of that same day, two cars arrived with two civilians and police officers and took me from there and took me to Ulcinj, that’s what I heard the place say. When I arrived there, they searched me and then called me and questioned me, invited me to eat bread. I told them the same thing I had explained in Tivar. In the evening they informed me that the wife and two children had been found, while the daughter had not been found. They asked me if I wanted to see them and I told them that I would like to see them.
They took me in two cars and took me there accompanied by some civilians and military guards (police). We went to the side of the lake, near the village where I had appeared in the morning. When I arrived there, I saw the corpse of the wife and two sons. They put them in an old house, locked them and said that the next day, we would bury them. I agreed. They took me and took me back to Ulcinj.
When they asked me in Tivar, there were two people, one of them knew Albanian, among others they asked me whether or not I knew a photographer who had been in Shkodra and had escaped to Yugoslavia, they even mentioned his name, but I don’t remember, I remember that his name was Muslim, I told them that I didn’t know him. They told me how it was possible to be from Shkodra and not know this person?! They didn’t ask me about any other person or name.
They asked me how many hours people work in Shkodra and I told them they work 8 hours, they asked me and were interested in knowing if there was private property, they asked me about the army and the number of departments, about the leadership of these departments, they asked me who was the head of the Internal Affairs Branch, they asked me about the Security officers I knew, they asked me about the director of Fisheries and who he was, they asked me where I did the training and how much it was, about the training programs, they asked me about the weapons the departments had, they asked me about border guarding and the soldiers if there were many of them.
For all of this, I told them what I knew, I did not know the numbers of the departments, nor the communists of the departments and the head of the Branch. As for the training and the weapons that I knew, I told them. The second day, around 10 am, they took me by car and took me to the bodies of my wife and children, to bury them. They laid them in the ground together with some villagers from Skjej.
I don’t know who paid for the funeral expenses. So there in that village, near a house, I buried my wife and two sons, but they didn’t find my daughter. After burying my wife and children, they took me and took me to Ulcinj, accompanied by civilians and soldiers. In the evening hours of that same day, they took me by car and accompanied me to Titograd, where they took me straight to prison.
The process was interrupted, where after it was read, it was signed. Memorie.al
The defendant Investigator
(Hamit Myrtja) (Jake Tefiku)
Continues next issue
