Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Forty-Six
Memorie.al/ publishes several archival documents extracted from the institution of the Authority for Information on the Files of the former State Security, which contains the voluminous file (forms, investigative and judicial) of Myrteza Bajraktari, originally from Gostivar. After finishing high school in the city of Tetovo in 1952, he began his university studies at the University of Skopje, in the Philosophy department, where alongside his studies he also worked as a journalist for the newspaper “Flaka e Vllaznimit” (Flame of Brotherhood) published in Skopje. He was quickly dismissed from there after publishing an article openly opposing the displacement of Yugoslav Albanians to Turkey, and as a result, he was appointed a teacher at the “Shaban Zeneli” seven-year school in Kumanovo. The arrest of Myrteza by UDB [Yugoslav secret police] in 1956, as he was part of a secret organization called the ‘Albanian National-Democratic Organization’, and his sentencing to seven years of political prison, which he served in the prisons of Niš and Idrizovo. His escape from Yugoslavia and arrival in Albania, where after staying for some time in the internment camp in Seman, Fier, he was granted the right to higher education, graduating from the University of Tirana in the Language-Literature branch. However, after refusing an assignment to the city of Berat in 1971, he was arrested and sentenced to seven years of political prison on the charge of “agitation and propaganda.” His release from prison, being left unemployed until the fall of the communist regime, and his appointment as Consul General of Albania in Switzerland until 1993, as well as his subsequent election as Honorary Chairman of the ‘Albanian League in the World’ for the Benelux countries, where he worked for the Kosovo issue until he passed away on December 11, 2020. The entire complete file of Myrteza Bajraktari, with the names of State Security officials and officers, the pseudonyms of collaborators, “colleagues,” and “fellow patriots” who followed and surveilled him, the provocateurs in the investigation cells, the witnesses who testified against him in court, the letters sent to Enver Hoxha and high official instances requesting his innocence, etc., etc., is published for the first time by Memorie.al
Continued from the previous issue
The secret document with the surveillance report prepared by the head of Surveillance Base No. 10, Andrea Karapanço, regarding the surveillance of the movements of the Turkish visitor, Rexhep Ay (Lajçi), coded by the State Security with the pseudonym “Gjarpri” (The Snake).
Secret
Copy No. 3
Tirana, August 25, 1985
Surveillance report for the date August 9, 1985, on the surveillance of the movements of the Turkish visitor who holds the pseudonym “Gjarpri”.
At 15:10, the target leaves the restaurant in question and enters the Hotel “Apollonia”.
At 16:20, the target leaves the hotel and goes to the beach. Here, Idrizi, Myrteza’s wife, and her daughter with a 2-year-old child are waiting for him, lying down and talking.
At 17:30, Myrtezai arrives and after meeting the target, he undresses and both of them swim in the sea. After 10 minutes, they come ashore near Idrizi and Myrteza’s wife.
At 19:10, the target gets up and parts from Idrizi, Myrtezai, his wife, and his daughter, who disperse in different directions, while the target enters the Hotel “Apollonia”.
At 19:50, the target leaves the hotel accompanied by Bedrije Vokshi and Halil Qose, and after crossing the tourist road to reach the main road, they sit on a bench near the P.T.T. [Post Office] to talk.
At 20:20, Idrizi arrives and sits down. After talking with them, he leaves at 20:25, and likewise Bedrija, after meeting the target, boards the bus.
At 20:35, Halili also gets up and parts from the target, leaving in a different direction, while the target remains alone on the bench.
At 20:45, Idrizi comes and sits on the bench, and after 2 minutes they get up and enter the P.T.T., from which they then come out and sit back down on the bench.
At 21:10, Idrizi, Myrteza’s wife, and her daughter come and meet the target again. At this time, the four of them get up and after crossing the main road opposite the open-air summer cinema of the beach, they stand talking and watching the movie “Red Handkerchief” from a distance.
At 21:40, the target, Idrizi, Myrteza’s wife, and her daughter cross the train tracks and enter the house where Myrtezai is staying.
At 22:40, the target was seen coming out alone onto the tourist road, and at 22:45 he entered the Hotel “Apollonia”. At this hour, the surveillance was interrupted.
Head of Base 10
Andrea Karapanço
The secret document with the report prepared by Operational Worker, Eduard Bala, with data from the Security informant with the pseudonym “Gama”, from the “Obuzi” Surveillance Base, regarding the tracking and surveillance of Myrteza Bajraktari.
Received by Op. Wrk. Eduard Bala
Given by Informant “Gama”
Base “Obuzi”
Tirana, September 16, 1985
R E P O R T
The source informs that during the months of August-September 1985, he met several times with Myrteza Bajraktari. During the conversations he had with him, he discussed both family matters and other things.
Speaking once about the figure of Stalin, as comrade Enver evaluated him, the source emphasized that: the enemies have put expressions in Stalin’s mouth as if he did not recognize the Albanian nationality but considered it Slavic.
The source continues, referring to Tito’s memoirs, claiming that Stalin supposedly told him to annex Albania. This happened because Tito wanted to distort Stalin’s figure. They published only those political and literary works that threw mud on his image.
During this period, Myrtezai told the source that an acquaintance of his named Ishe [court secretary], had a visitor from Turkey, originally from Peja, come to her. Ishe had spent her summer vacation in the Tourist complex of Durrës, together with this visitor. Myrtezai even said that they had come to him for lunch on the beach. The source did not learn any other details. The source has observed that Myrtezai has formed a close friendship with Gani Ratkoceri, with frequent meetings.
“Gama”
Evaluation of the report:
The report has operational value because it informs us of Myrteza Bajraktari’s reactions. Regarding the figure of Stalin, Myrtezai reacts well. Likewise, we are informed of his social meetings and close connections.
Clarification of the data:
Myrteza Bajraktari is followed in [file] 2/A, as a possible agent of Yugoslav Intelligence. Ishe, who works as a Secretary of the Tirana Court, has incriminating materials against her. Gani Ratkoceri was in 2/A as an agent of Yugoslav Intelligence, but he was declared innocent and his file has been archived.
Task given to the B.p. [Collaborator]:
To meet again with Myrteza Bajraktari and in the conversations you have with him, to listen to his opinions regarding the situation in our country. How does he react to the speeches of comrade Ramiz in Korça and Shkodër? Ask him about the visitor who comes to Ishe, and his [the visitor’s] attitude towards our country.
Operational Measures:
The report is to be printed and passed to the Operational Worker who is following him, Oltion Frashri. A task is to be issued to be given to the collaborator.
Operational Worker
Eduard Bala
The secret document with the report prepared by Operational Worker, Fuat Zyka, with data from the Security collaborator with the pseudonym “Furnitori” (The Supplier), from the “Skulptori” (The Sculptor) Surveillance Base, regarding the tracking and surveillance of Myrteza Bajraktari.
Received Op. Wrk. Fuat Zyka
Given by Collab. “Furnitori”
Base “Skulptori”
Tirana, March 18, 1986
R E P O R T
The source informs that around May 12, he met with Myrteza Bajraktari at his house, as they had arranged to go to the house of a patriot to collect materials about his life.
Along the way, they talked about daily life, and he asked Myrtezain about how his arrest had come about. Myrtezai told him: “They convicted me for nothing. I had a friendship with Kapllan Resuli, who had expressed some dissatisfaction to me regarding his own figure and his evaluation as a writer. At that time, an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the surname Backa, who dealt with Kosovars (I don’t remember his first name), advised me not to meet Kapllan Resuli anymore, because he was not a good person. From then on, I broke away from Kapllani, and when he came to my house, I wouldn’t go out to meet him. After Kapllani’s arrest, they arrested me too and asked me what I knew about Kapllan Resuli. I explained what Kapllani had told me, but an officer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is now retired, came to me during the investigation and said: ‘In addition to these things you have testified about Kapllani, you will also say some things that we will tell you.’ I told him I would not stand as a false witness, may I never be forgiven [if I did]. I said what I knew and I am ready to tell them anywhere, but I will not add anything else. So they sentenced me to three years in prison, and when I was released they told me: ‘Don’t seek your innocence, or you’ll end up jobless.’ And I remained without work for four years.”
But now, the source asked him, why don’t you seek your innocence once more? Myrtezai replied: *Now I have been working for two years, and I’m going to retire. As for being settled, I’m settled well enough, so why should I seek it for nothing? Besides, I don’t have friends to help me.
“Muratori” (The Builder) [This seems to be the source’s pseudonym used here, different from “Furnitori” in the header? Possibly a typo or alternate name].
Clarification:
Myrteza Bajraktari and Skënder Backa are followed in [file] 2/A as possible agents of Yugoslav Intelligence.
Evaluation:
The information is of interest, as it shows that the target, Myrteza Bajraktari, has begun to open up to the Collab. and indicates that the target Skënder Backa, when he was an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, exposed the target Kapllan Resuli to him [Myrteza? or someone else?], who was arrested and convicted around the years 1970-1971 as an agent of Yugoslav Intelligence.
Task:
The Collab. Was given the task to meet with the target Myrteza Bajraktari and, more extensively with him, to engage in conversations of a general character, focusing on literature and the arts, for which the target has a passion. In conversations with him, to be careful, and to ask him who the officer with the surname Backa is.
Operational Measures: The information is to be printed in two copies, one for Myrtezain’s file, and one for Skënderin’s file.
Operational Worker
Fuat Zyka
Note by Section Chief Nuro Sako:
The possibility is not excluded that Skënder Backa may have told Myrtezai not to speak at all about his hostile activity and that of his comrades, since both Kapllani and Myrtezai were followed as agents of the Yugoslav Intelligence Service. This information raises suspicions about Skënder, that he may be an agent of Yugoslav Intelligence.
We must work carefully to direct the Collab towards Myrtezai. Let’s prepare a line of conduct for him on where he should focus in conversations with him.
Note by comrade Agron Tafa:
Agreed, but let’s follow it carefully and be wary of provocations. Although we must consider that the target [Myrteza] wouldn’t likely betray Skënder, and Skënder couldn’t have manipulated the evidence for Kapllani to be convicted, when it is known that both are agents of the Yugoslavs. Nevertheless, the Collab. is to be directed with a line of conduct and be debriefed with T.O. [Technical Operations?] /Memorie.al
1.7.1986
