Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Twenty-One
Memorie.al/ publishes several archival documents extracted from the institution of the Authority for Information on Former State Security Files, containing a voluminous file belonging to Tuk Jakova, who, since the period of Zog’s Monarchy, was one of the primary leaders of the Shkodra Communist Group, sentenced to political prison in the famous trial of 1938, together with Qemal Stafa and Vasil Shanto, a participant in the founding meeting of the Albanian Communist Party and a member of its Provisional Central Committee since the founding meeting of November 8, 1941, political commissar of the First Offensive Brigade and the First Army Corps of the National Liberation Army, where from the end of the War, in November 1944 until 1955, he held several high-ranking party and state functions and duties, such as: member of the Politburo and secretary of the Central Committee of the Albanian Communist Party, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of Albania in Belgrade, President of the Trade Unions of Albania, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of the Albanian government headed by Enver Hoxha, etc.
The entire voluminous file being published for the first time by Memorie.al, contains hundreds of unknown documents against former Lieutenant-General Tuk Jakova (“Hero of the People”), which belong to the period of the years 1951-1959, when after numerous contradictions he had with Enver Hoxha since the end of the War, in 1951 he was expelled as a member of the Politburo and in 1955, he was also expelled from the Central Committee of the APL (Party of Labour of Albania), being dismissed from all party and state functions he had held until that time, was interned with his family in the district of Berat, where after working for some time as the head of the Carpentry Workshop in that city, in 1957, he was sentenced to isolation in the Kanina Castle of the Vlora district, where he was arrested in 1958, being sentenced to 20 years in prison, accused as a “traitor and enemy of the people,” until he died in the Prison Hospital of Tirana in 1959, under mysterious circumstances!
What is stated in the secret documents (reports, photographs, cards, forms, report-informations, notes, minutes, surveillance reports, action plans, statements, letters of denunciation, etc.) belonging to the period 1955-1959, when he was under constant pursuit and surveillance by the State Security organs, who were the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs organs assigned to monitor him, and the names and pseudonyms of the Security collaborators who kept him under strict control?!
Continued from the previous issue
The document drafted by the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Lieutenant Colonel Raqi Zavalani, with the decision for the arrest of Tuk Jakova, approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant-General Kadri Hazbiu, and the Attorney General of the People’s Republic of Albania, Siri Çarçani.
APPROVED SANCTIONED THE ARREST
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL
KADRI HAZBIU
PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
SIRI ÇARÇANI
D E C I S I O N
(FOR ARREST)
Tirana, on 31.12.1957, I, the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Lieutenant Colonel Raqi Zavalani, after studying the material related to Tuk Jakova, born 1914, born in Shkodër and residing in Vlorë, of Albanian nationality and citizenship, expelled from the Party:
I Found:
That Tuk Jakova, starting from the year 1955, and particularly during the years 1956 and 1957, has agitated and propagandized against the Party line and the People’s Power, constantly aiming at the weakening and overthrowing of this power.
He has carried out such hostile activity with various enemy elements, among who are Dhora Leka, Bedri Spahiu, etc.
Based on what was stated above, according to Article 155 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the People’s Republic of Albania.
I Decided:
To arrest Tuk Jakova, resident in Vlorë, and to conduct a search of his residence.
Investigator of the State Security Directorate
Lieutenant Colonel Raqi Zavalani
Endorsed
Head of the Branch at the Center
Lieutenant Colonel Filat Muço
Endorsed
Head of the Investigative Branch
Colonel Nevzat Haznedari
The document of the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri, approved by the Head of the Investigative Branch at the General Directorate of State Security, Colonel Nevzat Haznedari, for the commencement of the investigative process against the defendant, Tuk Jakova.
A P P R O V E D
Head of the Investigative Branch
Colonel Nevzat Haznedari
D E C I S I O N
On undertaking the investigative proceedings
In Tirana, on January 6, 1958, I, the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri, after studying the materials of the investigative file regarding the accusation against Tuk Jakova.
I Found:
Tuk Jakova, arrested on January 4, 1958, is accused of offenses provided for by Article 72 of the Penal Code of the People’s Republic of Albania; considering the need for the investigation of the case and based on Article 117 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
I Decided:
To undertake the conduct of investigations regarding the accusation against Tuk Jakova.
A copy of this decision shall be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigator
Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri
The document of the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri, approved by the Head of the Investigative Branch at the General Directorate of State Security, Colonel Nevzat Haznedari, for the seizure and confiscation of the property of the defendant, Tuk Jakova.
APPROVED
Head of the Investigative Branch
Colonel Nevzat Haznedari
D E C I S I O N
On preventive seizure
In Tirana, on January 7, 1958, I, the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri, after studying the file on the accusation against Tuk Jakova, for the crime provided for by Article 72 of the Penal Code.
I Found:
That Tuk Jakova has committed the crime provided for by Article 72 of the Penal Code, which simultaneously provides for the confiscation of property for his portion.
Therefore, guided by Article 125 of the Penal Code.
I Decided:
To carry out a conservative seizure until the conclusion of this trial.
Major Kristo Voko is authorized to perform this action.
Investigator
Captain First Class Irfan Shaqiri
Document of the General Investigation on the interrogation of the defendant Tuk Jakova, carpenter by profession, by the investigators of the State Security Directorate, Captains Ferhat Matohiti and Irfan Shaqiri.
Minutes (Process-verbal), Tirana, on January 6, 1958
I, the investigator of the State Security Directorate, Irfan Shaqiri, together with Captain Ferhat Matohiti, questioned the arrestee Tuk Jakova, son of Mark and Luçija, born 1914, with two years of high school, from a poor urban class, a carpenter by profession. Sentenced to four years during Zog’s time, expelled from the Party.
The questioning began at 10:30.
The questioning ended at 14:30.
The investigation was conducted.
Explanations of the arrestee:
Question: You have been arrested for hostile activity you conducted against the People’s Republic of Albania, based on Article 72 of the Penal Code. Speak about this.
Answer: The motive for my arrest based on Article 72 is correct, because my activity, for which I will provide clarifications, is punishable.
I hold responsibility for the discussion I made in the April 1955 Plenum; regardless of the purpose, it damaged the Party.
I will provide clarifications regarding the issues I discussed in the Plenum, which are:
Phase I of the formation of the Party, the issue of the groups, the issue of the Museum of the National Liberation War.
I hold responsibility for all those illusions that carried me away from the time of my expulsion from the party until the events of the Counter-revolution in Hungary, such as:
Viewing things in a non-realistic and non-Marxist manner. My view that our leadership has errors and did not want to correct them.
Maintaining links with the Yugoslavs through my sister-in-law, Dhora Leka. My going to Elbasan, my meeting and conversations with Bedri [Spahiu]…………………………………………………………………………………………………!
That our leadership has errors must be specified that it is about several issues, such as the issue of rehabilitations and the issue of shortcomings in the Party, i.e., regarding democracy and Leninist norms, as well as the cult of the individual………………………………………………….!
After reading the record, my statements are written correctly, I sign it with my signature./Memorie.al
The Arrestee
Tuk Jakova
The Investigators
Captains Ferhat Matohiti and Irfan Shaqiri
Continued in the next issue
