By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Two
Memorie.al / The archival documents that we are publishing in this article, which belong to the period; December 1948-June 1949 and see the light of day for the first time, have been extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the fund of the former Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Republic of Albania. They represent one of the most important and dramatic moments in the history of communist Albania: the political process, conviction and execution of Lieutenant General Koçi Xoxe, one of the main figures in the hierarchy of the Communist Party since the War period, who held the most important positions after Enver Hoxha, such as; member of the Politburo and political secretary of the Communist Party of Albania, deputy prime minister and minister of internal affairs, etc. The attack on him began at the end of 1948 and was made public at the First Congress of the CPSU, where he was accused of “Trotskyism” and “counter-revolutionary activities”. As a result, after a few days he was arrested and after an investigation process that lasted several months, in March 1949, he appeared before the court that sentenced him to death by firing squad.
While all of this and more about the figure of Koci Xoxe is already well-known, having been made public before and after the 1990s, the documents we are publishing in this article testify to Xoxe’s last efforts to save his life, and the ruthless decision of the communist regime, behind which was Enver Hoxha himself, to eliminate one of his most likely opponents, whom he saw as his main rival in the efforts to preserve the leadership of the Party and the state that Hoxha had officially led since the end of the War, in November 1944.
In the documents in question that we are publishing in this article, in addition to the formal accusations against Koci Xoxe such as; “careerist, Trotskyist and arriviste” and the request to appear before the “people’s court”, which “came” by telegram from the General Court of the Korça district, bring us and reflect the rhetoric of that time, (where the words “enemy of the people” had begun to be used frequently), we will also see the correspondence between the High Court, the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and the Ministry of Justice, which officially asked each other not to spare the life of Koci Xoxe.
All of this comes after an emotional appeal addressed to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, where Xoxe, among other things, also recalls his contribution to the National Liberation War and asks for mercy, for the sake of his family, wife and six young children, the eldest of whom was only 12 years old.
But as is now known, none of this would be taken into account and the decision to sentence him to death would not be discussed by any of those three “columns” where the communist state was held. What is noticeable in these documents (which we are publishing together with the relevant facsimiles), is that Koci Xoxe’s letter to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly for clemency is dated June 10, while all other documents, starting from; the report of the Minister of Justice Manol Konomi, sent to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, the report of the Supreme Court, sent to the Ministry of Justice, the report of the Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Sami Baholli, sent to the Ministry of Justice, the meeting of the Presidency of the People’s Assembly, where Koci Xoxe’s request for clemency was considered, the decision of that Presidium refusing to clemency his life, as well as the minutes of the date of Koci Xoxe’s execution. So, all of these are dated June 11, 1949, which is practically impossible, also for physical time reasons, for all these meetings to be held, which raises doubts that they were formulated days later.
Thus, his execution on June 11, 1949, (it is said that he was shot somewhere on the outskirts of Tirana, in a place between the former Dog School and the Tufina Cemetery) marked the beginning of a series of purges in the communist elite, which lasted nearly 40 years and ended with the death of dictator Enver Hoxha, in the mid-1980s.
Continued from the previous issue
LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, SAMI BAHOLLI, SENT TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, WITH THE REQUEST NOT TO PURGE THE LIFE OF THE CONVICT KOCI XOXE
PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
PRESIDIUM
Technical Section
Ministry of Justice
(Administration Branch)
Tirana
Regarding your letter No. 488. Rez, dated 11.6.1949.
We inform you that the Presidency of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, at the meeting on 11 June 1949, decided to REJECT the request of the death row convict, Koci Xoxe, who seeks to pardon the capital punishment, given by the decision of the Supreme Court.
Secretary of the Presidium
Sami Baholli
DOCUMENT WITH MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, DATED JUNE 11, 1949, WHERE THE REQUEST OF KOCI XOXE, WHICH REQUESTED A PAROLE OF LIFE, IS CONSIDERED
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
PRESADIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
MINUTES
Meeting No. 249 of the Presidency of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the R.P. of Albania held on June 11, 1949, Saturday in Tirana.
Present at the meeting: Dr. Omer Nishani, Major General, Myslym Peza, Major General, Bedri Spahiu, and Sami Baholli.
The meeting begins at 10:00.
Mr. Chairman opened the meeting and invited the Secretary to read the minutes of meeting No. 448, dated 7-6-949.
The minutes read were accepted without any objections.
Then the chairman proposed the following;
AGENDA
- Consideration of the petition for the pardon of the death sentence of Koci Xoxe.
- Consideration of the petition for the pardon of the death sentence of Ded Kadri Kola.
- The petition of Koci Xoxe, who seeks to be pardoned from the death penalty, given by the decision dated 10.6.’49, of the Supreme Court, accompanied by the letter No. 448, Res. dated 11.6.’49, of the Ministry of Justice, is being considered. The Presidency of the Presidium, taking into account the gravity of the crimes committed by the convicted Koci Xoxe, and his social danger, after having seen the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, which appears to be in favor of granting a pardon, decided to REJECT the petition of Koci Xoxe, who seeks to be pardoned from the death penalty, given by the aforementioned decision of the Supreme Court.
- The petition of former sergeant Ded Kadri Kola, from the village of Gjon-Pepaj in Tropoja, who seeks to be pardoned from the death penalty, given by the decision No. 60, dated 30.4.’49, of the Tirana Military Court, for organizing a small group of soldiers, with the aim of deserting and escaping to Yugoslavia, accompanied by letter no. A1 – 267/1, dated 6.5.’49, of the Ministry of National Defense.
Presidium of the People’s Assembly
Minutes No. 249, dated 11.6.’49
II
The Presidium, taking into account the young age and political immaturity of the convict, after seeing the opinion of the Ministry of National Defense, which appears in favor of pardon, decided that the death sentence of the convict Ded Kadri Kola be MERCIFIED, converting it to life imprisonment.
As there was no other item on the agenda, Mr. Chairman declared the meeting closed at 10.30.
Tirana, 11 June 1949
PRECIATION OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
Secretary Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker
Sami Baholli G.M. Bedri Spahiu G.M. Myslym Peza
Chairman
Dr. Omer Nishani
DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF THE DECISION OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, DATED JUNE 11, 1949, REJECTING THE REQUEST OF KOCI XOXE, FOR A LIFE PAROLE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
ABRIEF MINUTES
Extracted from the minutes of the meeting No. 249, at the Presidency of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, of the R.P. of Albania, held on June 11, 1949.
The Presidency of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Republic of Albania, at meeting No. 449, dated June 11, 1949, decided:
- To reject the request of Koci Xoxe, for the pardon of the death sentence.
- To pardon the death sentence of Ded Kadri Kola, by converting it to deprivation of liberty for life.
Tirana, 11 June 1949.
For the Presidency of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly
Of the People’s Republic of Albania
Secretary President
Samoi Baholli Dr. Omer Nishani
ARCHIVE DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTE OF THE EXECUTION BY SHOOTING OF KOCI XOXES, SIGNED BY PROSECUTOR BEDRI SPAHIU, THE DELEGATE OF THE INTERNAL BRANCH OF TIRANA, HALIM XHELO AND DOCTOR IBRAHIM DERVISHI
MINUTE
Held today on 11.VI.1949, at 23:15 on the execution of the death sentence, given by the High Court, Koçi Xoxes.
The execution of the convicted person was carried out in the presence of the public prosecutor comrade Bedri Spahiu, assisted by the secretary Kozma Toçi, the delegate of the Internal Branch of Tirana, Major Halim Xhelos and the doctor, Lieutenant Colonel comrade Ibrahim Dervishi.
On the date and time indicated, at the head of this process, the convicted person was brought to the place of execution. The prosecutor, comrade Bedri Spahiu, once again informed the convict that the request for pardon had been rejected by the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and asked him if he had met with his family. The convict replied that yes, he had met with his family.
“At this moment”, – said the prosecutor, – “you have been brought here to implement the final decision of the Supreme Court. Therefore, tell me if you have anything to say or a message to leave, as a last will”.
The convict Koçi Xoxe replied: “I have nothing to say. I met the family”!
The prosecutor reminded him once again if he had any message to leave and the convict replied: I have nothing, long live the Party, the Republic, the Union and Stalin. I was judged and sentenced by Bedri Spahiu”!
Prosecutor Bedri Spahiu said: “Our Party and Republic will live and flourish, and this is not because of your will”.
At this moment, precisely at 23:15, the representative of the Public Prosecution ordered the execution by shooting.
After the firing squad fired, the doctor, comrade Ibrahim Dervishi, was called in, who examined the body of the convicted person and determined that he had died as a result of the firing squad’s shots.
Then, the burial of the body was ordered, as the family members had not expressed any desire to receive it (the body).
In accordance with Article 8 of the Law “On the Execution of Sentences”, this report was kept, a copy of which is sent to the Supreme Court to be added to the records.
Tirana, on 11.VI.1949, 23:15 / Memorie.al
Doctor Representative of the GPB Tirana
Ibrahim Dervishi Halim Xhelo
Secretary Prosecutor Bedri
Kozma Toçi Bedri Spahiu
