From Sokol Drrasati
Memorie.al / On December 13, 1990, just three or four days after the student protests had started in the city of Tirana, hundreds and hundreds of residents of our city of Shkodra came to the main square, protesting and throwing banners. numerous, against the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his followers, Ramiz Ali and Nexhmije Hoxha, such as: “Freedom, Democracy”, “Enver, Hitler”, “Down with violence”, “Down with the police”, “Long live America”, ” The army is with us”, “This regime has ended”, etc., etc.
Even though the organs of the dictatorship of that time, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, supported by the Army forces, had taken the relevant measures, the inhabitants and the youth of the city of Shkodra, supported by many pupils and students, did not withdraw from their protest, until they managed to topple the bust of dictator Enver Hoxha, which was located in the main square of the city.
But who were the organizers of that demonstration, how many hours did it last, how did the events unfold hour by hour until the evening of that day, what was the reaction of the forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who came from Tirana and those of the Internal Branch of Shkodra , how many people were arrested, who were they, what were they accused of and how many years were they sentenced to…?!
Regarding these and the entire history of the events that took place on December 13, 1990 in the city of Shkodra, where I was personally not only an eyewitness, but also one of its protagonists, I was even sentenced to 25 years of deprivation of liberty, after I had planted explosives in the bust of dictator Enver Hoxha, I do not prefer to tell those events myself.
But in this article, I am publishing the secret document that the Chairman of the General Investigation at that time, Qemal Lame, sent to the secretary of the Central Committee of the PPS, Xelil Gjoni, where he explained in detail, almost all the dynamics of those events, where all the people of Shkodra, killed their fear and came to the square, facing the communist dictatorship, as it had happened since the end of the War in 1945-’46, when the Postriba Uprising took place, the first anti-communist uprisings throughout Eastern Europe.
Honor and pride for the people of Shkodra and all those boys from Shkodra who came out that day in the square, fighting with the forces of the communist dictatorship, even getting bloodied and suffering torture and prisons, just as it had happened to that city, for approx. half a century of the communist regime.
The secret document drawn up by the head of the General Investigation, Qemal Lame, sent to the secretary of the PPSh Central Committee, Xhelil Gjoni, regarding the events of December 13, 1990, in the city of Shkodra, where the bust of Enver Hoxha was blown up.
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA Secret
GENERAL INVESTIGATION Specimen No. 2
No. 1526 Tirana on 26.12.1990
Subject: For the investigation of the event of 13.12.1990 in Shkodër
SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF APS
FRIEND XHELIL JOHN
T I R A N E
On 13.12.1990, as you know, from 12:45 to 20:00, a group of vagabonds and hooligans, joined by some students and pupils, demonstrated in the streets of the city of Shkodra, and committed vandalism destroying and burning with circumstantial means, such as sticks, stones, metal spheres, etc.
They also used explosives and fuels, about 200 social and cultural objects, institutions, and commercial units of services. In them, 18 million and 500 thousand ALL were robbed and damaged.
The investigation of the Shkodër district, assisted by a group of investigators of the General Investigation, in cooperation with the Internal Affairs Bodies, as well as with other justice bodies in the district, organized the work to discover the participants and organizers of this event, as well as for finding and disposing of stolen items.
78 people were detained, of which 42 were arrested. The investigation and then their trial was fast, with a revealing character as well as respecting legality.
Until 24.12.1990, 50 people were sent to court, 1 for terrorism, 17 for diversion, 9 for intentional damage to socialist property, 8 for theft of socialist property, 13 for illegal assembly and demonstration, as well as 2 for other criminal offences.
The social status of the persons sent to court is, 31 workers, 2 cooperators, 7 pupils and students, 1 soldier, and 9 unemployed. In general, these people have been convicted before and participated in illegal gatherings on January 13 in Shkodër, and on July 26 in Tirana.
During the investigation, it turned out that the group of 20-30 people was organized the day before. Those who, with the beginning of the gathering, as well as during the illegal manifestation of vandalism, tried to attract participants from the students of the Higher Pedagogical Institute “Luigj Gurakuqi”, as well as from the “Jordan Misja” High School.
The organizers of the demonstration and the acts of vandalism appear to have been the brothers Kastriot and Apollon Haxhi, Gjon Maranaj, etc. These and the crowd have been called several times by the Chief of Police of the district, to disperse, and to obtain permission based on the law for carrying out this demonstration.
They have benefited from the measured, cool-headed, controlling, tolerant attitude of the law enforcement forces. Not only were they not dispersed, but first with the slogans: “Freedom, Democracy”, then with the slogans: “Enver, Hitler”, “Down with violence”, “Down with the police”, “Long live America”, “The army is with us “, “This regime has ended”, excited the mass of the crowd.
The most active protagonists in this event were: Paulin Gjonpali, Roland Prela, Gjok Vukaj, Artan Gjegja, Gjovalin Papleka, Zef Torta, Sokol Drrasati, Zenel Mlika, Gjovalin Zefi, Paulin and Zef Coku, etc.
These have broken the glass of the doors and windows, as well as caused other damage to the buildings of the Pedagogical Institute, the Party Committee, the Executive Committee, the Radio, as well as to the showcases in the commercial units of the services.
Gjovalin Papleka injured the torso of Enver Hoxha with a small ax. Paulin Gjonpali, Artan Gjegja, Gjovalin Zefi, Roland Prela, etc., placed an electric cable on the neck of the torso, and pulled it to throw it, but they could not.
Then Sokol Drasati placed explosives in the neck of the torso, until they knocked him down. Sokoli, in order to defeat the resistance as well as to kill the police officer who prevented them from advancing to the radio building, threw explosives three times inside the building.
These people set fire to 10 institutions and other commercial units. During the investigation, it turned out that the organizers and active executors of this event, in carrying out the escalated actions, did not have any previous platform or plan.
They acted supported and supported by each other’s actions, as well as excited by being in a drunken state. The people sent to court have been tried and are being tried, and the sentences given have been up to 25 years of imprisonment. For 18 people, it has been accepted that they have been convicted before.
Some of them from 2 and 3 times for various criminal offenses, mainly for theft of socialist property. In the investigation, legality and legal protection were respected. The continuous participation of the Prosecutor and the Lawyer in the cases requested by the defendants has been ensured.
For the 16 detained persons, the refusal to start the criminal process was decided, as well as for 3 defendants, the investigations were stopped due to lack of evidence. Four minors who have appropriated socialist property worth less than ALL 60 have been singled out for criminal policy.
In the investigations so far, as well as by the internal affairs bodies, stolen items such as televisions, sewing machines, clothing, with a value of 120,000 ALL, have been discovered and managed.
Efforts are being made to find and bring before the legal responsibility several people active participants in this event, who hid from the investigation and are looking for, to discover and administer other appropriated items. Memorie.al
CHIEF OF THE GENERAL INVESTIGATION
QEMAL LAME
