Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of Aleksandër Kondos, the legend of Albanian singing who lost his life at the age of 27 in tragic and still not fully uncovered circumstances, during a car accident in Quens New York, USA, where he had settled as an immigrant after fleeing Albania in May 1985, staying in Yugoslavia at the time, following the return of the national team from the European Weightlifting Championships held in Poland in those days. The complete voluminous file of the former State Security in charge of Aleksandër Kondos, declassified by the Authority for Information of the files of the former State Security, where there are hundreds of pages belonging to the period from 1981 when the operational pursuit and surveillance of regularly against him by the secret services of the communist regime, until 1987, when that file was finally archived, after his tragic death.
In Tirana in the early ’80s, not only for many sports fans but also among the young people of the Albanian capital, a young man at the age of 20 stood out and stood out, both for his portrait and physique, as well as for his appearance, with fashionable clothes and a sports bag on his shoulder, and on the other shoulder a large radio-tape recorder, which he brought from abroad, when he went out with the national weightlifting team in international activity. He was Aleksandër Kondo, a member of the “Dinamo” weightlifting team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (where at that time he served as a senior soldier in the Republic Guard, also his father), and also of the national team, which at that time, thanks to the differentiated assessment and treatment of the communist regime in power in some serious sports, had achieved high results in the international arena.
The name of Aleksandër Kondo as a sportsman began to become more and more famous, especially after his high results achieved in 1984, at the Sports Palace “Partizani” in the capital, when he fixed the figures of 200 kg. (in the style of pushing) electrifying thousands of sports fans, (that day more spectators were outside the sports palace than inside it), who under numerous applause, did not leave the square in front of the palace, without seeing that guy up close, who had amazed them with his results and performance. Since then, Sander Kondo, almost became a myth in Tirana and Albania of that time, as his results came to rise, not only in national championships, but also in the international arena where he consistently had high results. .
But much more than this period of time when Sander Kondo, was at the peak of his career, his name became even more famous and began to be discussed throughout the country, at the end of May 1985, when during an international event in the framework of the European Weightlifting Championship that took place in Warsaw, Poland, (where he lifted 210 kg.), Kondo did not return to Albania, but together with his teammate, Xhelal Sukniqi from Shkodra, from Montenegro went to Belgrade, waiting to gain political asylum in the US.
The event of the escape of two Albanian athletes caused a great commotion not only because of the great name and fame that Aleksandër Kondo had at that time, but also because that event became the object of “quarrel” between Albania and Yugoslavia, as official Tirana at that time publicly accused (in the newspaper “Zeri i Popullit”), the Yugoslav authorities, saying that the two Albanian athletes had been abducted by the Yugoslav secret services (UDB) and demanded their return home.
But that claim of official Tirana had nothing real, as Kondo and Sukniqi denied it in the meeting that took place in Belgrade, between the representatives of the Albanian embassy and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the Yugoslav side, where Sander Kondo, after cursing the communist regime of Enver Hoxha again and again, tried to hit the Albanian diplomat with an ashtray, insisting that he should return to Albania, where his family and the whole society were waiting for him.
After that, Sander Kondo and Xhelal Sukniqi gained political asylum in the USA, where Sukniqi is still, while Kondo lost his life in a car accident on May 1, 1987, (always according to the official version of the communist regime of that time). ), and his remains were returned to Albania in 2003.
All these have already been known for years, as much has been written about Aleksandër Kondo as the legend of Albanian weightlifting and his father, Vangjel Kondo, has given several interviews in both print and visual media, and even made some television documentaries, for all his life and history, until the day he parted from this life. But again, the “Alexander Kondo case” has not yet been fully clarified, especially the part related to his tragic death which continues to remain shrouded in mystery, as well as the surveillance of him by the Security of The Albanian State and its segments since 1981, which was made public for the first time by the Authority for Information of the Former State Security Files, headed by Mrs. Gentjana Mara Sula, who in 2018, handed over the file to the Kondo family, or more precisely to his father, Vangjel Kondo.
In that file that Mr. Vangjel Kondo has trusted him exclusively for the publication of Memorie.al, the light is shed and it is known, the evaluation, the treatment and all the surveillance and persecution, which was done at that time by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, one of the most voice of Albania, such as Aleksandër Kondo, who was well known in the international arena. Based on this fact, Memorie.al will publish the complete file in question (with the relevant facsimiles), in several numbers.
Report of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of Tirana, for the conversation that the State Security collaborator had, with the nickname “Student”, with Aleksandër Kondo, on December 24, 1981
Sent by GDP Tirana in writing no. 3544 dated 24.12.1981
Given b.p. “Students”
Received P.O. R.I.
Zambaku Base
Report dated 14.12.1981
The source reports that he met at the club near the school “P.N. Luarasi ”with Aleksandër Kondo who, that day had returned from Romania where he had gone with the Albanian national team to the Balkan Weightlifting Championship.
In the conversations above, he asked Alexander how he had come to Romania, and what he had brought with the diets they had given him. At the same time telling him how much they had paid for what he had brought.
In response to this Alexander said: “I bought a jacket, four golfs, hats, ties, socks, as well as some other accessories, even though our diet was small.” He asked him when you had a small diet, how did you manage to buy all this?!
Alexander continued: “When we were at the hotel, I saw a Bulgarian athlete enter the room, one of the hotel cleaners. Since I saw this fact, the Bulgarian gave me 200 lei. Also, the translator who accompanied us gave me 200 lei. He was of Albanian origin; he lived in Romania and took me by car for a few hours.
He instructed me not to tell them to the embassy as I met with them every day. “A few days later he met with …….. Who had also been to Romania with the weightlifting team and when he mentioned them about the conversation he had with Alexander and the loot he had taken there, he told me, “We had a small diet to get those things.
But how Alexander got them I do not know anything. “But I only know one thing that the friends of the embassy told me not to spend too much time with the translator, whose name was Ilia, and I do not think that he gave it to him.”
“Students”
Assignment: The collaborator was instructed to meet again with Alexander Kondo in order to deepen the conversation with him, especially about the money he received from the Bulgarian and the translator.
Clarification: According to the collaborator Aleksandër Kondo, he is a soldier in the RPSSH Guard, and at the same time he is an athlete in the club “Dinamo”.
Operational measures: The data should be printed and passed to the 8th Branch in the Ministry, since the club “Dinamo” has an object of work. In order to evaluate and use this data according to the operational interest it will have, and a copy of the II Directorate.
Operational Workshop
R.I.
Branch 8
- To be certified with P.O. this given.
- Get from customs what this has brought.
- Prove that he cleared them.
- Notify Branch II.
I informed the fellow minister
29.12.1981
Information report of the weightlifting team escort regarding Alexander Kondo, during the activity that took place in Romania, in November 1981
Secret
Single copy
Tirana on 29.12.1981
Note:
I saw the report of b.p. “Student” dated 14.12.1981 given to Alexander Kondon. For this I clarify the following:
On November 18, 1981, when our weightlifting team arrived in Bucharest, two Romanians from the federation met us at the airport, and after having dinner at a restaurant, at around 9 pm, they took us to the train station, from where we left unaccompanied by no person to the town of Bistrica. We arrived on the morning of 19.11.1981.
We settled for accommodation in a hotel in that city. At this hotel, other teams, such as Bulgarian, Romanian, Yugoslav, Greek, and Turkish, were accommodated. At this hotel, the commission of the Romanian federation also performed the medical examination and weighing of the athletes before the start of the competition. In these conditions, the possibility is not excluded that our athletes have seen the movements in the hotel, of other athletes, as well as have received any contact with them.
On 19.11.1981 around 14.00, the escort and translator, who had been assigned to us by the federation, Ilia Muzaka, of Albanian origin and who lived in Bucharest, came to the hotel in Bistrita. During this day, the escort did not have the opportunity to get acquainted with our athletes, no longer to associate with them. On the 20th and 21.11.1981 that the races took place, the days were very busy and as a result, our athletes were very busy with the races.
These were accompanied in every place by their coaches, because of the results they sought to achieve. While the companion Ilia, did not move from the place where the competitions took place. So I think it was not possible to stay alone for only companion Ilia and Alexander Kondo. On the other hand the escort had no vehicle available. On 22.11.1981 our team was free and around 10.00 before lunch in groups they went for a walk in the city of Bistrita. After lunch a concert was given where we all went together.
At 20.00 we left for the train station from where we left for Bucharest at night. The athletes stayed on the train of 3-4 people. After arriving in Bucharest on the morning of 23.11.1981 at the train station, we were separated from our companion Ilia and until we left for Tirana, we had never seen that man again. Our team in Bucharest settled with accommodation in a city hotel, where none of the other teams were after they were disbanded. On the 23rd and 24th of November 1981, when we were staying in Bucharest, the teammates were divided into three groups and went out for a diet.
In terms of diet it was small but nonetheless, items claimed to have been bought by Alexander could be purchased as generally the jackets that some athletes bought cost 108 lei. And if the golf tights that Alexander bought were cotton or children’s. During the escort of the team, we did not notice any movement of Alexander alone or any special association with Ilian, or with members of other teams. After we returned to Bucharest, the ambassador told the team that Ilia were a bad man.
Team mate
Xh. M.
Report of the State Security Operational Worker, regarding the doping preparations that the weightlifters of the national team had used before the competitions
SECRET
Single copy
Tirana on 14.4.1983
NOTE – OPERATIVE
Following the verification and signaling, on the use by the weightlifters of the national team of stimulants (doping preparations) today I met with the doctor of the Institute of Physical Education M.K. who told me: “A few days ago a meeting was held where the latest weightlifting activity was discussed, where there were many record-breaking and high scores.
At this meeting, the doctor from Korca, who is also an I.S. weightlifter, expressed concern that some weightlifters, who broke many national records, had used anabolic stimulants. Likewise the weightlifter F.K. said that these have used stimulants and that there is no possibility of achieving these results immediately.
This, said M.K., was not deepened and no explanations were sought as to where they supported this conclusion. He said that seeing them in the complex, the suspicions of these two friends, the high results of some weightlifters and the hospitalization of the athlete A.H. in the hospital accompanied by vomiting and abdominal pain, the question asked me by athlete A.B. what effects does Anabofarma have, the insistence of the president of serious sports and athletes not to have doctors for their control, led me to the thought that stimulants may have been used.
These stimulants may be used again. M.K. added that these preparations with stimulating effects, the condition also in our pharmacies which are: Anabofarma, Dianaboli, Testosterone, and others from these families. These affect the body’s hormones and have properties that temporarily increase physical fitness. Later, these negatively affect the athlete’s organization and are prohibited by law from being used.
Operational Workshop
H.Ç.
Note
The issue is important and needs to be addressed quickly. But give me more time to confirm what is being said. Inform Branch 8 which should be interested in what the agency says.
April 15, 1983
Operational Worker’s Note on conversations Alexander Kondo had with people who followed and monitored him
“Secret”
Single copy
Tirana on 9.4.1983
Operational note
In the conversation I had today on 9.4.1983 at 13.00 with the citizen F.S. with work in the Sports Club “Dinamo” the latter told me that in a conversation he had with V.D. teacher of physical and military education in high school P.N. He told Luarasi: “In the national weightlifting meeting that took place some time ago in Tirana, weightlifters Aleksandër Kondo and A.H. of KS” Dinamo “broke national records with 25 kg each.
When citizen F.S. had told him how it is possible that these records break so many V.D. had replied that Alexander Kondo and A.H. when they were in Turkey for years for a friendly match, they bought some doping drugs and now in the championship they use them. Therefore and this is the reason that these break the record. He further stated that after breaking the records, they insisted on continuing the races for further breaks with even 10 kg.
They did this in order that the doping they had used had a short shelf life. Following V.D. i said F.S. that, this had been learned by the other weightlifter M.H. and he had nervously told him that I would do the same now that I left for Turkey, buy them and drink them with my fists. It is enough to break my records and it impresses if I die or damage my health.
Operational Workshop
H.Ç.
SECRET
Single copy
Tirana on 14.4.1983
SH Ë N I M O P E R A T I V
In the conversation I had with the chief judge of the last weightlifting competitions, Comrade B.K. with teacher work in the school “8 March” I learned the following: “High results are a logical consequence of achievements in the training process.”
On 14.4.1983 B.K. came to the director and told me: “I think that Partizan weightlifter G.N. uses stimulants, and these are given to him by his coach H.A., who takes them to a pharmacist in Tirana.
This can be seen in his continuous poor results, while whenever there are gatherings to go abroad, he raises much more than his average even though he is at a very old age of about 40 years old “. /Memorie.al
Operational Workshop
H.Ç.
Continues in the next issue
