“Kasem Trebeshina killed Sulo Tragjasi, after Sulo had quarreled the day before with his brother, Myzafer, whom he insulted…” / State Security documents from 1982, regarding the killing of a member of the Fier guerrilla unit in ’43

By DASHNOR KALOÇI

Part Three

Memorie.al / Like all wars, wherever and whenever they have occurred, the one now known as the “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War” in the years 1939-1944 also has its dark side. Since that time and later, but mainly after the 1990s with the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, there have been many testimonies, and hundreds of archival documents have emerged that shed light on many unknown events, the majority of which constitute what is now considered by many scholars and historians as the dark sides of the “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War”!

For example, the killing of some of the most prominent names, well-known personalities of the Anti-Fascist Movement such as; Qemal Stafa, Vojo Kushi, Ali Demi, Raqi Qirinxhi, Ramiz Aranitasi, Jorgo Plaku, Mustafa Gjinishi, Fejzo Gjomema, etc., the majority of whom were communists holding the high title of “Hero of the People,” for whom there are many contests regarding the manner and circumstances in which they were killed or disappeared without a trace. Such is the case of “Martyr of the Fatherland,” Raqi Qirinxhi, from the city of Korça, a former partisan quartermaster of the District Operational Staff, who at the moment of his disappearance, had the finances (gold) of the partisan unit he belonged to with him.

While Qirinxhi’s killing remains shrouded in mystery, for almost the majority of the names mentioned above, and for many, many others, there are accusations and testimonies with concrete names and facts, as well as archival documents uncovered after the 1990s, that cast a shadow of doubt over their killings, such as; “settling of accounts,” “robbery,” “personal revenge,” “struggle for power,” and even for “pink stories,” or other various trivial reasons.

One of these killings, which has been discussed since the 1990s, is that of Sulo Tragjasi, originally from Vlora, (“Martyr of the Fatherland”), who was killed by Kasem Trebeshina, a former member of the Fier district guerrilla unit and subsequently a partisan with functions in the ranks of the National Liberation Army (Deputy Commissioner of the 12th Assault Brigade). After the end of the War, after serving several years in the ranks of the State Security with the rank of Captain, he went to study in the Soviet Union and after returning home, worked for a long time as an actor in the People’s Theater and later as a freelance writer, until he was arrested and sentenced to prison in 1954 and released in 1955.

After his release from prison, he was interned for years, suffering in many distant villages, until he was arrested again in 1979 and sentenced to 8 years in prison for “agitation and propaganda against the people’s power.” The killing of Sulo Tragjasi has been admitted by the well-known writer Kasem Trebeshina himself, and he even detailed it in some of the books published after the 1990s, giving his version of that killing, which is said to have affected him deeply, even with a severe spiritual shock, until the end of his life.

While all the above are already quite well known, in this article we are publishing some archival documents of the former State Security (extracted from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), which contain some testimonies of individuals from the Fier district, former members and veterans of the Anti-Fascist War, given to the State Security investigators in the years 1982-1983, where not only the killing committed by Kasem Trebeshina is discussed, but also many other killings and attacks carried out in the Fier district in the years 1942-1944. Always according to the documents in question, the person who ordered them turns out to have been Myzafer Trebeshina, the political leader of that district at the time, and after the end of the War, and until the early 1980s, serving as First Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Executive Committee in several districts.

These testimonies taken at that time (1982-1983), when Kasem Trebeshina was arrested in the cells of the State Security Investigation (Prison 313) in Tirana, and his brother Myzafer Trebeshina, was serving as the Chairman of the Democratic Front of the Fier district, constitute one of the three sole investigative processes that the communist regime of Enver Hoxha opened regarding events of the War period, after those of the killing of Qemal Stafa and the Councillors of Hekal. Files that were closed only with the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, without any concrete result.

The period when the investigative process to shed light on the killing of the “Martyr of the Fatherland,” Sulo Tragjasi, took place is after the event of the “suicide” of Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, and the accusation against Trebeshina, or more precisely the opening of that file at that specific time, casts a shadow of doubt that it was also done because he (Kasemi), was a first cousin to Fiqret Sanxhaktari Shehu, the wife of the dead prime minister, who at that time was also arrested in the investigation cells (Prison 313), along with her two sons, Skënder and Bashkim. Where, ironically, his nephew, Fatos Trebeshina, Myzafer’s son, was part of the Tirana Investigation Group, where the investigative process of Kasem Trebeshina was simultaneously taking place.

But this version again presents doubts, as Kasem Trebeshina’s arrest had been made in 1979, when Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu was at the height of his power. While regarding these and other matters concerning this issue, there is room for much research and analysis, in this article we are publishing the archival documents in question, (which, as we emphasized at the beginning of this article, shed light on some of the darker sides of the “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War”), which are being published for the first time and with the respective facsimiles, by Memorie.al

                                                        Continued from the last issue

ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE DECLARATION OF SOTIR SPIRO ZAKA FROM THE CITY OF FIER, GIVEN TO STATE SECURITY INVESTIGATOR SOTIR ZAKA, REGARDING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE KILLING OF THE MARTYR SULO TRAGJASI, BY KASEM TREBESHINA IN NOVEMBER 1943

Fier on 9.1.1983

INFORMATION

I, Sotir Zaka, son of Spiro and Diella, born in 1913, born in the village of Sheqishtë, residing in the “Kongresi i Përmetit” neighborhood in Fier, party member, pensioner, informs the State Security organs, as follows:

During the National Liberation War, since the founding of the Party, until the liberation of the country, I have participated in the Movement. My war activity was in the city of Fier and the Dukas area. I participated during the war with the guerrilla units of the city and this area and with the educational groups.

I remember that during the war and until the liberation of the country, by order of the party, the following people were killed by assassination: The Bey of Libohova (Xhevat Libohova), Nexhip Vrenozi. Actions were taken against Tefik Cfir, Hajdar and Kadri Cakran, Abaz Omari and others.

Regarding the martyr Sulo Tragjasi (Dukati), I have the following to say: Sulo Xhelili (Tragjasi) participated in the guerrilla unit (tracking) to capture Faslli Toska, with Gjon Banushi as the person in charge.

Members included Xoxi Andoni (deceased), Naun Kaçaku (martyr), Josif Pogaçe, and others whom I no longer remember. At that time, Sulo was known by the pseudonym Xhaxhaj (Uncle).

I remember it was the month of October-November 1943. One afternoon, I was in the village of Sheqishtë-Frashër. There I found the scouting unit of the third group, of the first operational zone of Mallakastër, commanded by Shefqet Fetiu (Hekali).

Sulo Xhelili was also part of this group. This unit, after resting, would set off for Mallakastër. In front of Lame Tola’s house, sitting on a log, I found Myzafer Trebeshina and Sulo Xhelili, who were arguing with each other.

I saw that Sulo was nervous and said some offensive words to Myzafer, telling him that he had “shitted” on him; he had “shitted” on the Party, that he was not his slave, and would go wherever he wanted.

I intervened and told him; what are you doing Sulo?! He told me that this is what they want. The next day, after I returned from Belina, Loni Çuka met me and told me that Sulo Tragjasi was killed by Kasem Trebeshina.

I was accompanying them together with Luto Sadiku. Kasemi shot him from behind with a rifle and told me that Sulo was killed because he was a traitor. And we buried him in that place.

Regarding whether Luto Sadiku was also present when Kasem Trebeshina killed Sulo Xhelili, this is what Loni Çuko said as far as I remember. Perhaps there might have been another person.

A few days after Sulo Xhelili’s killing, I met Naun Kaçaku, who told me that Sulo Xhelili was killed by decision of the Party. Myzafer Trebeshina was also at the meeting where the unit made the decision.

Those days, after Sulo’s killing, I met and talked with Luto Sadiku, a pensioner in Tirana (he is from Klos-Hekal), Gramzo Zaloshnja, and Tajar Asllani, who told me that we made a decision in the Party cell of the unit to kill Sulo Xhelili because he wanted to escape, to desert.

When Sulo Tragjasi was classified as a martyr, Luto Sadiku and Tajar Asllani (residing in the “11 Janari” Neighborhood) told me that we had issued a declaration for Sulo that we had made a hasty decision for his killing, and on this basis, he was classified as a martyr.

I take responsibility for the issues raised in this declaration. Memorie.al

THE DECLARANT

Sotir Zaka

                                                         Continued in the next issue