Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes some unknown accrual documents issued by the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, which is a letter from the Albanian government headed by Colonel General Enver Hoxha, (signed by the Minister of Justice, Manol Konomi ), sent to the International Commission on War Criminals based in London in February-March 1945, requesting the extradition to Albania of Francesco Iacomoni, General Dalmacos, Salvatore Melloni, and Carabinieri General Crispino Agostinucci, charging they for many crimes at the expense of the Albanian people.
The Albanian Central Commission for the Detection of War Crimes and Enemies of the People, expressing the will of the entire Albanian people who, while remaining loyal to the Great Anti-Fascist Bloc Alliance, has fought and continues to fight against the common enemy, Nazi Germany, based on the great principles of justice that have inspired this war, is honored to demand the surrender of 1) Francesco Iacomoni, a former Luogotenent in Albania. This is stated, inter alia, in a letter from the Albanian Government dated 23 February 1945 to the International Commission on War Criminals based in London, where through the then Minister of Justice, Manol Konomi, the Communist government of Enver Hoxha, asks the commission to allow the extradition to Albania of former senior Italian soldier Francesco Iacomoni, who during the war served as King Victor Emanuel III’s deputy in Albania.
What is further stated in the letter of the Albanian Government to the International Commission on London-based War Criminals, who are other persons besides Jakomoni that official Tirana requested for extradition and trial in Albania and what charges she had formulated at the address theirs? All of this is discussed in a series of archival documents available in the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, some of which we publish below in this article.
Letters to the London Commission
Only a few days after the end of the war, in December 1944, the Communist government of Tirana, headed by Colonel Enver Hoxha, did not hesitate to make the first demands to the governments of some Western countries, asking them to surrender to Albania, a part of the Albanian political fugitives, whom she regarded as “war criminals”. This is already a well-known fact, but what has never been made public is the fact that the communist government of Tirana at the time, along with a large number of Albanians, demanded that some of the most senior military men be extradited to Albania. high-ranking Italians who served during the War period in our country, such as Francesco Jakomoni, Salvatore Melloni, and Crispino Agustinucci. This is also indicated by the letter of the Albanian Government to the International Commission on War Criminals based in London, which reads, inter alia: all the Albanian people, who, being loyal to the Great Anti-Fascist Bloc Alliance, have fought and continue to fight against the common enemy, Nazi Germany, relying on the great principles of justice that inspired this war, have the honor to demand surrender e:
Former Luogotenent Francesco Jakomoni in Albania
Salvatore Melloni former secretary-general of Luogotenence,
Carabinieri General Crispino Agostinucci, the main cause of the disasters that the Albanian people suffered during the fascist occupation.
Some of these war criminals are being tried before the Italian Court in Rome today, which is in contradiction with the decisions made at the Atlantic, Moscow and Tehran meetings, where the principle that war criminals will be tried in their respective countries is expressly agreed. committed their criminal acts. Nevertheless, for the good conduct of investigations and trials, it is necessary that the aforementioned criminals appear before the Albanian People’s Courts. The acts that form the indictment of all three aforementioned criminals are:
Francesco Jakomoni: Prior to the occupation of our country, transcending the limits of his mission as Plenipotentiary Minister of the Italian Fascist government in Albania, he has used every tool in preparing the ground for Albania’s invasion: various political and financial ties and conventions, penetration into the ranks of the Albanian army of youth instructors and organizers for its fascism; the sowing of the fascist seed in Albania, the corruption of some Albanian traitors. After April 7, 1939, in his capacity as Vice King of Italy, in France, England, the United States of America and Russia, by declaring war on them, organized terror in Albania to suppress the resistance of the people. He ordered the conduct of large-scale operations against the National Liberation Army of the Albanian people assisting this army. He ordered the burning, plundering, and destruction of the vast provinces, where the resistance forces took refuge. It ordered the incarceration, mass deportation of the Albanian population to areas of concentration inside and outside Albania. He ordered torture, murder, mass hanging and mysterious disappearances of patriots. Gathered around him corrupt Italian and Albanian people for the oppression and economic exploitation of the Albanian people. It planted corruption in the state apparatus. It inspired the promulgation of fascist-minded laws. He was the initiator in the formation of the treacherous organization of the National Ball, financing it. There has been a finger in every abuse of fascist trade-industrial enterprises. He has stolen and accumulated colossal property to the detriment of the Albanian people and has used every means to disrupt it and lead to fratricide.
Salvatore Melloni: The right-wing of Francesco Iacomoni and his close associate throughout criminal enterprises. Inspirer and commander of murders, mysterious disappearances, incarcerations, and mass deportations; burnings, looting, and destruction of Albanian villages and towns. Principal Associate of SIM (Servizio Informativo Militar). The organizer of a civil espionage network in Albania. It has caused famine in the Albanian population. It is fabulously enriched at the expense of the people.
General Crispino Agustinucci: Before the fascist occupation of Albania he was a general instructor of obscenity and disguising himself as a civilian instructor, prepared the fascist aggression in close connection with the Italian diplomatic representation in Albania. Organizes the fifth column in Albania and sabotaged the resistance of the Albanian people against fascist aggression. During the occupation, he was the organizer of the Italian Carabinieri. To suppress even more the resistance of the Albanian people, he incorporated the Quisling gendarmerie into the fascist carabinieri, leading the fight against the Albanian National Liberation Army. Organized and commanded the terrorist apparatus and intelligence service in Albania. The burnings, robberies, destruction, torture, deportation and mass killings of the Albanian people are criminal offenses of the fascist carabinieri commanded by him. He ordered the imprisonment and deportation of innocent people solely for the purpose of exploitation and enrichment. In various ways, it has accumulated colossal wealth at the expense of the Albanian people. The Central Commission for the Detection of War Crimes and Enemies of the People is fully convinced that this demand of the Albanian people, the first victim of fascist aggression, will be taken into account giving it the deserved sadness”.
The British officer writes to Enver
According to archival documents found in the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, which also contains the full correspondence of that ministry with the Albanian Military Mission at the General Command of the Mediterranean Allied Forces based in Bari, Italy, headed by Colonel Halim Budos, the Albanian government of Enver Hoxha, sent a request for the extradition of those he considered “war criminals”, in addition to the London-based International Commission of Inquiry, to the US General Jacobs, who was on duty at the time. of the United States Foreign Service official. This is also indicated by a letter from Jacobs, sent to Enver Hoxha on July 5, 1945. That letter of the senior US military states:
The United States Foreign Service
Dear General-Colonel Enver Hoxha
Referring to our rich conversation a few weeks ago on the issue of the return of Albanian war criminals, I would like to inform you that the letter dated 22 June 1945 of the Minister of Justice to the International Committee of War Criminals in London, has been sent to that committee. In support of the list of 43 alleged war criminals, prepared on February 23, 1945, I had that list with me in Caserta on my last trip to discuss the matter. Although I cannot tell you what action will be taken, I can say that the authorities in Caserta are investigating the matter, and possibly in the short term some action may be taken.
With respect General-Colonel
I’m really you’re honest
J.E. Jacobs
Lieutenant-Colonel
Enver Hoxha
Drye Comansant T ‘U. N. C. Shq. Tirana
Letter of the Albanian Government from the Minister of Justice, Minister Konomi
According to the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, where the correspondence between that ministry and the Albanian Military Mission attached to the General Command of the Mediterranean Allied Forces based in Bari, Italy, is fully enclosed with the request for extradition. General Dalmacos from Italy to Albania, the Albanian government has submitted another request, according to her, are listed all crimes committed by the Italian general during the war in Albania. The document, signed by the then Minister of Justice, Manol Konomi, states, among other things:
Democratic Government of Albania
Prime
Central Commission for Investigation of War Crimes and Criminals…
It is widely acknowledged that the ugly killings of heroine Margarita Tutulani, along with her brother, of four Vlora boys executed in the killing of Marshal Lombardi, the hanging of nine boys from the Porto Palermo camp and their execution, one part of the Rock of Kavaja and part of Tepelena are criminal offenses ordered directly by General Dalmacos.
The people of the province of Vlora remember with horror the winter of 1943 when the Durban mercenaries commanded by the notorious criminals, Halil Alija and Selim Kaloshi, went there at the behest of General Dalamco to inhumanly rob and torture him. Following the capitulation of Fascist Italy, General Dalmaco, in opposition to calls made by both the Badoglio Government and the leaders of the National Liberation Movement and the General, the Commander of the Florence Division, stopped the Italian army from joining forces. The liberation of the country and joined the German forces.
Murders, mysterious disappearances, imprisonment and deportation on behalf of the civilian population, the burning, looting and destruction of Albanian villages and towns, and the organization of the terrorist apparatus, are criminal offenses ordered by General Dalmacos.
The Central Commission for the Detection of War Criminals, an interpreter of the will of the entire Albanian people, who insist on the speedy trial of war criminals by their own trials, and based on the principles of justice and the decisions taken. of the great allies, according to which every guilty verdict will be tried by the courts of the country where he has committed the crimes, demands the surrender of the criminal of the lift, General Dalmacos, to stand trial before the Albanian people.
For the Central Commission
The President
Manol Konomi
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