Dashnor Kaloçi
Part fifteen
Memorie.al publishes a file that was obtained some time ago by the institution of the Authority for the Information of Files of the former State Security, where the investigative, judicial and processing file of the citizen, Kasëm Hoxha, originally from the village of Markat in Saranda, is located. and residing in the USA since 1985, when he was able to escape from Albania to Greece, after having suffered for ten years in the Spaçi camp, convicted of “agitation and propaganda against the popular government”. At the time of his arrest, on June 21, 1973, by the State Security bodies, of the Internal Affairs Branch of the Saranda district, some “compromising materials”, such as poems and tracts, were found in his house , where he called “for the overthrow of popular power”, etc. The file in charge of the citizen Kaso Hoxha, (now de-classified) begins with the processing, where the State Security bodies and the Department of Internal Affairs of the district of Saranda make every effort to find the author of the letter. with deep hostile content”, which was thrown in the center of Markat village, where after a long time, with the help of the Central Criminal Laboratory, near the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tirana, it became possible to specify and identify that the writing in that letter, it was Kaso Hoxha’s, this also led to his arrest. The file in question continues with the investigative and judicial process against him, where he, after suffering ten years in Spaçi prison, in November 1982, returns to his native village, Markat, where from the first days, he was persecuted and the surveillance by the State Security bodies, which had engaged not only some Security associates, but also his close family members, this forced Kaso, to escape arrest, to escape from Albania, crossing the state border, to neighboring country, Greece. After some time staying in the Llavros Camp, he gained the status of a political asylum seeker, to go to the United States of America, where even there, he continued to be followed and monitored by the State Security bodies and some of its agents. secret, (“Fatosi”, “Gjahtari”, “Vullkani”, B. p. “6856”, etc.), until 1991, when the communist regime in Albania collapsed. The story of Kaso Hoxha, became known after the publication of his book “Beautiful land, ugly people”, now comes through the documents of the State Security, (where there are reports of associates of the State Security, with their pseudonyms, letters, notes, information, relations, report-information, interceptions with operational techniques, etc., of State Security officers, investigators, officers of the Department of Internal Affairs, of the district of Saranda, etc., until the residency of Discovery Political in the US, and its agents there), which begin in 1973 and end in 1991, when his file was permanently archived.
Continues from last issue
The document with the minutes of the interrogation of Mejdo Tare Hoxha, Kaso Hoxha’s wife, by the investigator of the Internal Affairs Branch of the Saranda district, Kristo Vangjeli, regarding the circumstances of her husband’s escape
PROCESS – VERBAL
Today, on 20.8.1985, in Saranda, I, the investigator Kristo Vangjeli, in the presence of Halima Makriu, interrogate as a witness Mejdo Tare Hoxha, born on 12.2.1951, with 8 years of education, resident of Markat Village – Saranda, works in a cooperative. Kaso Hoxha’s wife.
The investigator warned me about the criminal liability I have under Article 202 of the Criminal Code for perjury.
Signature of Witness
Mejdo Hoxha
Regarding the matter, I explain the following:
I live in Markat village of Saranda and work as a cooperative. In 1968, I married Kasem Hoxha from the village of Markat, with whom we had three children; I have a daughter named Luljeta Hoxha, 16 years old, another daughter, Nderime Hoxha, 12 years old, and a son, Gjergji Hoxha, 2 years old.
In 1972, my husband Kasem Hoxha was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for agitation and hostile propaganda and was released from prison in November 1982, on the occasion of amnesty. After being released from prison, Kasem Hoxha returned home and worked as a cooperator.
On 28.7.1958, Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Kasemi went to the wedding of the daughter of his first cousin, Idriz Hoxha, while I went to the wedding there around 3:00 p.m. and then returned together with Kasem and the children from the wedding and we went to our house.
At 18.00, Kasem Hoxha left home and went to watch TV at his sister’s house, named Vitori Murtaj, in the village of Markat and returned home around 23.00
After coming home, Kasemi fell asleep. At 7:00 a.m. on 29.8.1985, Monday, Kasemi got ready for work as usual, took the bag of bread and the donkey and left for work and said he was going to irrigate a place called Agure, and so he is gone.
While I was sick and did not go to work on this date. In the evening of 29.7.1985, my husband Kasem Hoxha did not return home, and for that reason, I became worried.
So on 30.7.1985 in the morning, I met with my fellow villager Eqerem Shera, if he had seen anything of my husband Kasem Hoxha. Eqeremi told me that on 29.8.1985, in the evening hours, he had only seen the donkey in the field at the place called Haure, but he had not seen Kasem.
So I became worried and thinking that he was also without bread, I prepared the bag of bread and around 7:30 on 30.7.1985, I went to the field to look for Kasem.
After I went to the place called “Kotec”, I asked to meet Kasem’s brigadier named Bardhush Rexhon, to ask him about Kasem, but there I learned that Bardhush had fled to Saranda on July 29, 1985, because he had a sick child. So I started asking other fellow villagers and at the same time I started searching in the fields and I arrived home around 5:00 PM.
Later, the two girls returned home, then I went out again through the village and was looking for Kasem, but I didn’t find him. So around 6:00 p.m., I went and informed the village People’s Council, about the fact that my husband Kasemi had left home at 7:00 a.m. on 29.7.1985 and had not returned until 6:00 p.m. on 30.7.1985. .
In this case, I asked Brigadier Bardhush Rexha and the head of the sector, Petrit Agako, whether or not they had assigned work to my husband Kasem Hoxha on 29.7.1985, Monday, and they told me that they had not met him nor they had assigned him a job, since he did not show up. So they did not know where Kasem Hoxha had gone.
I clarify that my husband Kaso, since he was released from prison until the date he disappeared, he presented himself sick and complained that he was suffering from bronchopneumonia, he was generally associated with the work of the cooperative and the house, and he took care of the arrangement of the house.
But he actually left home every night and went to the house of his sisters, Bardhe Kushi and Vitori Murta, where he stayed until late at night. I didn’t have any quarrels with my husband Kasem Hoxha, except that I used to talk to him about why he didn’t stay at home, but went to his sisters’ houses at night and watched TV, while we never had any other quarrels.
Also, I have established that Kasem Hoxha in the village did not hang out with any other person, but usually he stayed with his cousin, named Syrja Ahmet Hoxha. Likewise, I clarify that Kasemi has escaped abroad, his cousin Selfo Hoxha, and another one, but I don’t know his name.
Question: Explain to us, witnesses, whether or not Kasem Hoxha corresponded with the fugitive Selfo Hoxha, others?
Answer: I do not know that Kasemi was in correspondence with his fugitive cousin, but I know that Kasemi met on two occasions with Selfo Hoxha’s son, Alem Hoxha, who is interned in Borsh.
The last case is that of 17.7.1985, around 18.00, Alem Hoxha came with his wife to our house in Markat, where he stayed for a few minutes and then they left.
In this case I was present and we had family conversations and I did not hear any suspicious conversation, but then Kasemi left and during the first hours, until around 10:00 p.m., he went to the wedding of Idriz Hoxha’s daughter, where he was also invited Alem Hoxha. Another thing about this matter, I do not know how to say.
I listened to the verbal process, it was written correctly and I certify it with my signature.
The witness INVESTIGATOR
Mejdo Hoxha Kristo Vangjeli
Assisted
Halime Makriu
The document with the minutes of the interrogation of Alem Hoxha, Kaso Hoxha’s cousin, by the investigator of the Internal Affairs Branch of the Saranda district, Kristo Vangjeli, regarding the circumstances of Kaso’s escape
PROCESS – VERBAL
Today, on 20.8.1985, in Saranda, I, the investigator Kristo Vangjeli, interrogate as a witness Alem Selfo Hoxha, born on 1.10.1952, with 8 years of education, resident of Qazim Pali-Borsh village, Saranda, working as a laborer in the Agricultural Enterprise – Lukovo .
In relation to the matter, he explains as follows:
I am originally from the village of Markat in Saranda, and in 1969, I settled with my family in the village of Borsh, as a measure of internment, since in 1969, my father, Selfo Hoxha, fled abroad to Greece, who currently resides in Chicago, America. My family and I correspond by letter with my father Selfo Hoxha.
Question: Explain to us, witness, if during the month of July 1985, you went to the village of Markat, if so, when and why did you go?
Answer: I have gone to my native village Markat on dt. 27.7.1985 and I left on 28.7.1985, Sunday at 14.30. In Markat, I went to the house of my uncle named Idriz Hoxha, after he married his daughter.
On 27.7.1985 in the evening, at my uncle’s house, among others, I also met my second cousin, Kasem Hoxha. I went to his house on 27.7.1985 at 17.30, and I stayed for a few minutes and his mother Hane, his wife and daughters were there. I was together with my wife, Maria Hoxha.
Question: Explain to us as a witness what conversations you had with Kasem Hoxha, dated 27 and 28.07.1985?
Answer: As I explained above, I only met Kason on dt. 27.7.1985 and during the conversation with him, he only asked me about the health of my family and nothing else.
Question: Explain to us, witness, where Kasem Hoxha is currently located?
Answer: On 30.7.1985 around 15.30, I was called by the chairman of the People’s Council of the village of Borsh, Qazim Pali, and he asked me about Kasem, what I had and then he told me where he was and I told him him that I left him there in the village on 28.7.1985, when I left Markati, and I don’t know where he is. So I don’t know where Kasem Hoxha has gone and where he is now.
Question: Explain to us whether or not Kasem Hoxha took the address of your father Selfo, who is a fugitive in Chicago, America, if yes, when exactly and why?
Answer: I say with responsibility that Kasem Hoxha never asked me nor did I give him my father’s address, so I don’t know that he has the address of my father Selfo.
I read the minutes myself, after seeing that my statements were written correctly, I confirm them with my signature.
Witness INVESTIGATOR
Alem Hoxha Kristo Vangjeli
The document with the decision compiled by the investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the district of Saranda, Kristo Vangjeli, for the suspension of the criminal case in charge of the fugitive, Kaso Hoxha, and the archiving of his file
DECISION
On the suspension of criminal case investigations
Today, August 20, 1985 in Saranda, I, the investigator Kristo Vangjeli, after studying the material of criminal case No. 123
I FOUND:
That: Citizen Kasem Çerçiz Hoxha, from the village of Markat in Saranda, dated 29.7.1985, committed the crime of treason against the homeland, fleeing abroad to Greece.
In support of Article 97/2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the investigative file will be sent to the Saranda Department of Internal Affairs, until the perpetrator of this crime is found.
DECIDED
To suspend the investigation of the criminal case in charge of the defendant Kasem Hoxha and the sending of the file to the Department of Internal Affairs in Saranda, until the author of this crime is found. Memorie.al
THE INVESTIGATOR
Kristo Vangjeli
