Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Twenty-Eight
Memorie.al/ publishes a voluminous archival dossier extracted from the institution of the Authority for Information on the Files of the former State Security, containing hundreds of documents with the classification “Top Secret” belonging to the former political prisoner, Xhavit Qesja, originally from the city of Kruja, whose family during the period of the country’s occupation, 1939-1944, was closely linked to the Anti-Fascist Movement, being one of its main bases and placed all its wealth at its disposal, since Xhaviti was one of the first members of the Albanian Communist Party for the Kruja district, leading the Krujë-Ishëm partisan battalion and the 22nd Assault Brigade. The political career of Xhavit Qesja after the end of the war, where he was appointed and served in high positions in the Albanian Army, the apparatus of the Central Committee of the Party of Labor of Albania, and several districts of the country, from where he was sent for studies to the Soviet Union, where he remained until 1957, when he was notified to return urgently to Albania, because he had openly expressed his views in favor of the political line being followed by the main leader of the Kremlin, Nikita Khrushchev, regarding the condemnation of the cult of Stalin. Enver Hoxha’s conversation with Xhavit Qesja in his office at the Central Committee, where he harshly criticized him for the erroneous views he had shown during his studies in Moscow, calling on him to reflect and make self-criticism, but Xhaviti refused the suggestion of the first secretary of the Party of Labor of Albania, which caused him not to be allowed to return to the Soviet Union to finish his studies, but to be sent to work as vice-chairman of the Executive Committee of Elbasan, from where, a year later, he would be expelled from the ranks of the Party and interned on the Island of Zvërnec, where the communist regime kept isolated some of the former high party and state cadres whom it had condemned for their anti-party views. The long ordeal and persecution of Xhavit Qesja from 1957 until 1990, where he spent a full 32 years in prisons and internments, being one of the rare convicts of Burrel prison who carried out long hunger strikes as a sign of protest against the treatment and brutal stance that Enver Hoxha’s communist regime was taking against him. The complete file, investigative and judicial dossier against Xhavit Qesja, published for the first time by Memorie.al, containing documents of the former State Security that reflect the surveillance and wiretapping against him, reports of Security collaborators with their pseudonyms, correspondence with letters he sent to high party and state instances, as well as the highest leaders of the PPSH, until 1991 when he was released from prison!
Continued from the previous issue
Report of the Operational Worker of Burrel Prison, Kamber Haxhahj, on the convict Xhavit Qesja
R E P O R T
“ON THE CONVICT XHEVIT QESJA”
The convict Xhevit Qesja, son of Hajdar, born in 1920 in Kruja, now convicted for the crime of hostile activity as an anti-party element, has firmly defended the anti-Marxist views of the Yugoslav revisionists. From 1970 until August 1972, he was serving his sentence in unit 307 Tepelena. By order of the Ministry, he was transferred to serve his sentence in unit 321 Burrel.
During his time in this unit, he has maintained a hostile stance, spoken with hatred about the Party and the people’s power, has given B.P. “Pëllumbi” in his direction, is a man with pretensions, demands more than he is entitled to, in violation of the rules. Also, he does his utmost to compromise the service personnel.
Tepelena, 18/IX/1972 Operational Worker
Kamber Haxhahj
Report-information of the State Security Operational Worker, Esat Lata, on the conversation held by Xhavit Qesja with another convict, Dilaver Radëshi
E X T R A C T
FOR XHAVIT QESJA TAKEN FROM THE INFORMATION OF THE O.W.
Xhavit Qesja – Let me ask you a question too, Dilo – (D. Radëshi).
In the telegram of the Chinese it says this: that Albania, the P.P.SH. Has fought a tooth-and-nail war against Soviet social-imperialism and American imperialism for the triumph of the world revolution, then below it says: let us unite to fight together against imperialism, revisionism and reaction, i.e., against imperialism and revisionism, reaction ………… while this is very weak.
Date 4/XII/1972 OPERATIONAL WORKER
ESAT LATA
Report-information of the State Security Operational Worker, Esat Lata, with data from the Security collaborator with the pseudonym “Beni”, regarding conversations held by convicts in Burrel prison
Given by agent “BENI”
Received by Op. W. Esat Lata
Burrel, 9/2/1973
No. 176
Report date: 9/2/1973
It is known that Bedri has for years been putting his philosophies into notebooks. Several times they have been taken from him or he has sent them in the name of the Prime Minister. Even now, over 20 notebooks have been accumulated since 1968-1969, which he has put in a cardboard box accompanied by a ready-made letter in the name of the Prime Minister, in case the Security Organs attempt to take them. The notebooks that the guard found during the inspection were generally from his treasury.
In general, from conversations in Tepelena, he had little hope that he would be able to get them out of prison even if he were released, so he was prepared for such a thing. The new element after the last conversation with the Operative and the taking of two notebooks was that he and Halimi, Bardhyli, Dilaveri and others, suspected that a second trial might be being prepared to convict Bedriu once more, to prevent him from leaving prison after two years when his sentence ends. Xhaviti does not rule out such a possibility, but does not believe it.
Bedriu himself has become fully convinced, so from the next day he packed his box with notebooks, put an address on it with cloth from the outside for the Prime Minister, has prepared in a bag a pair of wool socks, other undershirts, and expects to be arrested any day now. In various conversations with Halimin, Dilaverin, from him (Bedriu), you can expect anything; because these people never change for the better and that whoever believes they can return to the path of the law is very gravely mistaken. In conversations with him, he has said that he will not return home alive, that they will not let him free until he dies, and that if he is released, he will be interned again immediately.
Halimi supports these opinions, cursing the leadership and calling it criminal, beasts, etc. Bedriu and Dilaveri also often repeat such expressions. He has told Bedriu that when his sentence ends, they will no longer deal with him and will leave him alone at home, provided he does not give them cause to lay hands on him.
Lately, he has cooled off with Bedriu, indeed for about a week after an argument because Bedriu wanted to complain against Mustafa Lila, who takes recommendation letters, they did not speak at all, now they speak but are cold, the reason is that he can no longer stand it when he speaks or supports Halim Xhelo’s stupidities against our leadership and about the situation in the country, and he has not been able to hide this discontent.
Even Xhaviti no longer has the same respect and opinion he had before for Bedriu, so in the trio Bedri, Xhavit and him, a rift has been created, where Bedriu has withdrawn to one side, while Xhaviti and him, also stay together and are closely linked, although both are irreconcilable opponents of our leadership, they, i.e., Bedriu and Xhaviti, differ greatly from each other, Xhaviti is much more moderate than Bedriu.
Xhaviti, in conversations with him, calls ………… an ordinary spy of Kadri Hazbiu, he, Xhaviti, says that whenever they take him out only ……., he himself reports to Flamuri. Even that day when Bedriu was called and the notebooks were taken from him, he said that half an hour before him, ……….. was called, supposedly by the commander, but in fact by the Security, and was asked about Bedriu’s notebooks, and the next day when Kamberi came, he also came and argued with…….., he told him that these are Flamuri’s games, to cover up yesterday’s meeting of ………….and supposedly to persecute, an argument he brings for ……….. are also the high expenses he makes.
In January alone, he spent (………) 190 new lek on food, while only 171 lek for subscriptions, subscribing to 12 organs, this has caught everyone’s eye, he alone bought about 1 kg of coffee per month and remained in the corridor, begging one and all to treat him to coffee. Xhaviti says that………. although he is in prison, continues to receive the pension he received in Zvërnec, of 1,200 lek. In conversations with him, Xhaviti has expressed his suspicions also about Halimi, Kadriu, Miço, Pandelina and some others, although it must be said that he suffers from spy-mania.
Halimi has reached such a point that he can no longer endure prison, not in years, but even in months, so his tension rises and he curses from morning till night with the dirtiest words and expressions the leadership of the Party and the state and specific leaders, naming them by name. This often forces him to leave the room by trickery, so as not to hear him.
Even Vangjeli and Dilaveri call themselves specialists on Chinese affairs and constantly try to find and create contradictions in Albanian-Chinese relations; therefore he is forced to turn facts upside down. Certainly, nuances on specific problems between our two Parties are also noticed in the press, but he tries to prove that we will break up with the Chinese very soon.
Agent “BENI”
Evaluation of the data:
The data has value because we are dealing with dangerous enemies of the Party, who express themselves with the greatest hatred towards the Party and its leadership.
Task: When you report next time, give concretely for each one, things as they speak them, giving explanations for each, do not use your name in any way, but only the personal pronoun in the third person singular, do not cause the loss of trust with excessive conversations and excessive agitation in our favor.
Be careful in creating favorable circumstances for developing conversations, when you report do not confuse things.
Operative Measures: The data to be printed in five copies and placed in the folders of the persons implicated: Halimi, Bedriu, Xhaviti, Dilaveri and Bardhyli.
Operational Worker
Esat Lata
Report-information of the State Security Operational Worker, Esat Lata, with data from the Security collaborator with the pseudonym “Beni”, regarding conversations held by convicts in Burrel prison
Given by agent “Beni”
Received by Op. W. Esat Lata
Burrel, 10.4.1973
No. 177
R E P O R T
Dt. 10.4.1973
He reports that Xhavit Qesja says that this measure on the one hand pleases me, because it will increase resistance among the youth and the intelligentsia and will hasten the days when it will begin to react actively against the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
“Beni”
Evaluation of the data:
The data has value, since this convict considers the measures taken as the only measures that will hasten the day when the youth will rise against the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
Task: The agent was given the task to talk with this convict, about the measures the Party has taken recently on protection from foreign influences.
Operative Measures:
The data was printed in one copy, only in one copy, for the part that refers to Xhavit Qesja.
Operational Worker
Esat Lata
Note: The data is important and fully matches the O.W. materials. To be reported to the 8th Department, propose a 200 lek reward. To talk with the Chairman to give books to both, Xhaviti and “Beni”.
11.4.1973
Head of Section
- Hoxha
Seen by Deputy Chairman Ismail Musta
Report-information of the State Security Operational Worker, Esat Lata, with data from the Security collaborator with the pseudonym “Beni”, regarding conversations held by convicts in Burrel prison
Given by Agent “Beni”
Received by Op. W. Esat Lata
Burrel, 29.5.1973
No. 175
R E P O R T
He reports that even Xhavit Qesja, who came from the hospital, had been able to learn from the other sick, prisoners or pre-trial detainees, Xhaviti had found out that watching foreign television stations continues almost as before, since the Titograd station is very strong and can be received with a room antenna, while via Belgrade, Italy is seen.
Xhaviti told us about the dissatisfactions regarding the prison hospital and the argument he had with the head of the Tirana Department, about whom he had written a letter to the main leader of the party. He has been placed in the infirmary and is very satisfied, he feels as if he is in a Sanatorium.
“Beni”
Evaluation of the data:
The data has value, because this convict is against the measures taken by the Party for the fight against foreign revisionist influences.
Task:
No task was given to the agent because the data was taken from the secret box.
Operative Measures:
The data concerning Xhavit Qesja was printed in one copy and will be placed in his dossier. Memorie.al
Operational Worker
Esat Lata
