By Kastriot Dervishi
Memorie.al / Based on directives for the operations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during wartime, the Minister of Internal Affairs issued orders and instructions regarding the individuals who were to be included in lists No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. Referring to order No. 01-699, dated July 14, 1972, and order No. 120, dated May 8, 1980, “On the understanding, categorization, and recording of enemy elements with marked social dangerousness for wartime,” the following principles were established:
“Enemy elements with marked social dangerousness” were considered those individuals who, in the past or at that moment, carried out “acute hostile activity,” as well as their family members who were judged to present a risk of mobilization in an extraordinary situation.
“Acute hostile activity” included: espionage, terror, diversion, participation in criminal organizations, anti-party groups, conspiracies, military coups, etc. The study for the “identification of enemy elements with marked social dangerousness” was considered an “act of deep political character” in implementation of the line of the PPSH (Party of Labour of Albania).
The study and categorization were conducted by the chairman, vice-chairman, the chief of the General sector, the chief of the Sigurimi (State Security) section, and the operational officer. Finally, it was submitted to the First Secretary of the District Committee of the PPSH for their opinion.
The records in the lists were made in two copies and sent to the First Directorate of State Security, which prepared the file for approval by the Minister. After approval, one copy was sent to the Department of Internal Affairs, while the other was kept by the aforementioned directorate. The list was continuously updated; names were added or removed following the same procedure. The categorization of lists No. 1 and No. 2 in camps and prisons was carried out by the chairman, the vice-chairman of the Department of Internal Affairs, and the Security Operational Officer of the location where the sentence was being served.
List No. 1 consisted of:
- Declassed elements: former landowners, beys, agas, bajraktars (tribal leaders), large merchants, factory owners, etc.
- High-ranking officers from the era of King Zog and the war.
- Cadres of the secret services.
- Wartime agents.
- Leaders of organizations such as Balli Kombëtar, Legaliteti, Social-Democrats (Musine Kokalari), the “Group of Deputies,” the “Techno-Intellectual Group,” “Albanian Union,” “Committee of the Mountains,” “Resistance Front,” “Northern Epirus Syllogos,” as well as their family members.
- Foreign intelligence cadres.
- Repatriated individuals who had attended intelligence courses or schools.
- Agents of American, Soviet, British, Italian, Greek, Yugoslav intelligence, etc.
- Anti-party elements and their family members (e.g., Liri Belishova, Pandi Kristo, Koço Tashko, Todi Lubonja, etc.).
- “Enemy elements” under surveillance for acute hostile activity such as espionage, terror, diversion, organization, etc., when proven.
- Political convicts with marked dangerousness.
(Excluded from the groups above were those who had helped the war effort or remained indifferent during it, provided they maintained a good stance after the war).
List No. 2 consisted of:
- Family members of those who “betrayed the homeland” and served as active foreign intelligence cadres.
- Families of fugitives who had acted as “diversionists.”
- Elements that had sheltered or assisted “diversionists.”
- All those convicted of crimes against the state without hostile activity.
- Family members of persons executed for political reasons.
- Those convicted of crimes against the state, but also other crimes of a lesser degree.
List No. 3 consisted of:
- Convicts not included in lists No. 1 and No. 2.
To mask the correspondence, List No. 1 was called “C”, and List No. 2 was called “D”. For “enemy elements in camps and prisons,” the code names “DH”, “E”, and “F” were used for lists 1, 2, and 3. / Memorie.al
