-Enver Hoxha’s letter is revealed: “Comrade Stalin, we have not been vigilant, we apologize and we will leave this very serious matter to the Party and our people”!
Memorie.al / A week after the extrajudicial shooting of 22 intellectuals on February 26, 1951, to cover the traces of the crime, the communist regime secretly drafted a formal decision, which “legalized” the act of execution. Today, the complete record of December 2, 1993, of the Tirana District Prosecutor’s Office, regarding the testimony of Vangjel Koçani (former president of the High Military Court, in 1951), in which he testifies that the clique the highest of the communist regime, ordered him to compile the judicial decision, after the execution of 22 intellectuals, who were shot without trial, on the night of February 26, 1951, near the Beshiri Bridge, by the communist regime, after the self-criticism that Enver Hoxha had done in the telegram sent to Stalin.
Their arrest and subsequent shooting took place immediately after the alarm and the bomb that exploded at the doors of the Soviet Union embassy in Tirana in February 1951. Through this testimony, Kocani shows that, about a week after the shooting of 22 intellectuals, he is summoned by the former president of the Supreme Military Court, Shuaip Panariti, where he was informed about the event of throwing a bomb at the Soviet Embassy, as well as the shooting of 22 people as the perpetrators of this event.
Kocani testifies that, in this meeting, in his capacity as the president of the Supreme Military Court, he was asked to draw up a criminal court decision only formally, in which the previously shot persons would be declared guilty and sentenced to death. Then, the events move to the Ministry of the Interior, in an office, where Kocani says that Kadri Hazbiu was waiting for him there. The latter handed over to Koçani the list of names of the persons shot and then, the compilation and reasoning of the decision began.
Kocani himself confirms that; this decision was not the result of a trial, as no court session had been held, there had been no defendant for trial, nor had there been a court session with the people who were part of the decision, as they had been shot before. Therefore, Kocani affirms and reaffirms for the umpteenth time that; he did not know any of the persons listed in the formal court decision that he signed, where the 22 intellectuals were declared guilty and sentenced to death.
Everything was decided at the urgent meeting of the Political Bureau of the Albanian Communist Party, on February 20, 1951. Mehmet Shehu, then the Minister of the Interior, ordered measures to be taken for repression, regardless of the laws in force, and made the analysis and the immediate measures that should be taken to deal with the punishment of “terrorists”, in the session of the meeting with the members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.
In this meeting, Mehmet Shehu emphasized that: “this is a political event of great caliber, even greater than an assassination that could be done against any of us”.
MINUTES OF THE QUESTION OF THE WITNESS VANGJEL KOÇANI
Tirana, on December 2, 1993
I, Marenglen Rrapi and Petrit Shehu, investigators of the Tirana District Prosecutor’s Office, hold this record of the questioning of the witness Vangjel Koçani, the son of Kiço and Sofije, born on 1.03.1922, born in Dhërmi in Himara and living on the street ” Niko Avrami”, Building 7, Level 2, Apartment 23, Tirana, with a higher education in law, not convicted, retired.
The witness was warned about the criminal liability he has under Article 202 of the Criminal Code in case he gives false testimony.
SIGNATURE OF THE WITNESS
QUESTION: What state duties did you perform while you were working with the state?
ANSWER: After the liberation of Tirana, I was sent to the section of the SEMP (that’s how it was called State Security) in the district of Shkodra, with the task of deputy head of the section, after the head, I had Zoi Themelin. I stayed here for about a month, and I was arrested and sentenced for not following the rules while performing my duty. And specifically, I was convicted of using violence, according to the order, against an officer of the Brigade. I was sentenced to 8 months. After I was released, I was again promoted to the rank of second captain and I went to the Ministry of Defense.
QUESTION: Since in 1951, you worked at the Supreme Military Court and at this time there was an incident at the accredited Soviet Embassy in Tirana, what can you explain to us regarding the legal treatment of this incident by the judicial authorities of that time?
ANSWER: I remember well that in 1951, an event took place in Tirana and specifically it was said that a bomb had been thrown at the Soviet Embassy. I don’t know what repressive measures were taken by the state at that time, how many and which people were arrested. After a few days of this event, or after a week, I was summoned by the former president of the Supreme Military Court, Shuaip Panariti, and together with me, it seems to me that either Nonda Papuli or Hilmi Telegrafi, who was members, was summoned of the Supreme Military Court.
When he called us to the office, Shuaipi told us that; for the incident of throwing a bomb at the Soviet Embassy, 22 people were shot by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Shuaipi told us that; we have to make, compile a criminal court decision, only formally, in which to declare guilty and sentence to death, the persons shot before. After that, we went in the morning, to the offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I went, Shuaipi and either Nonda or Hilmiu, I don’t remember anyone else.
We entered the Ministry of the Interior from the main door, from the boulevard, and went to a Security office on the second floor, where I remember that Kadri Hazbiu was in this office, I don’t remember another person, but in this office, I put I noticed that Nevzat Haznedari (dead today) also came in and out. Of the other leaders of the former Ministry of Internal Affairs, I don’t remember who came to this office…!
I clarify that, like me and the other colleague, who was in a meeting with Shuaip, when we had not yet gone to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we told the president that; how can we compile a judicial decision, without the presence of the people who are being judged and when they were shot without a trial. Shuaipi told us that; that’s right, but we still have to make it a formal court decision, because we have to have faith in the leadership, because that’s what she tells us.
At that time, Enver Hoxha was in charge of the state, he was the Prime Minister, while Mehmet Shehu was the Minister of Internal Affairs. Shuaipi did not tell us who had called him from the leadership of that time and so, we thought of making a formal judicial decision.
As I said, we went to the office where Kadri Hazbiu was, where Nevzat Haznedari also came and they told us that; we have shot 22 people and a court decision must be made. From Kadri’s side, we were given the list of names of the persons shot and we started compiling and justifying the decision. We were not given any indictment, but I don’t remember who wrote the decision, but Shuaipi did the conception.
I don’t remember if the court decision was made by hand or typewriter. I do not remember that in addition to the decision, it was compiled and the minutes of the court session, as far as I know, only the decision was made. We stayed in Kadri’s office until we finished drafting the court decision and I remember that I and Shuaip Panariti signed it, I don’t know about the others…!
In these circumstances, the decision was made to plead guilty and sentence to death 22 people who were previously shot by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for throwing a bomb at the Soviet embassy…! The formal court decision, after I signed it, was taken by Shuaip Panariti.
This decision was not the result of a trial, since we did not hold any court session, the defendants were not brought to us for trial, and we did not have a court session, the persons listed in this decision, as they had been shot before.
Therefore, I have not seen nor do I know any of the people shot without trial, for which we made this formal court decision afterwards. When we finished work at the Ministry of the Interior, we went to the Supreme Court. Shuaipi gave us orders that, for what we heard, that 22 people were shot without trial and for the formal court decision that we compiled after their shooting, we should not tell anyone, we should keep it a secret, as a state secret.
Since this time, I have kept my mouth shut and have not told the truth to anyone…! In any other subsequent case, I have not been asked to make any other formal judicial decision…!
QUESTION: Then, in relation to the incident of throwing a bomb at the Soviet Embassy, has any judgment been made regarding the real perpetrators of this incident?
ANSWER; After the drafting and signing of the criminal and formal court decision of the guilty plea and (the death sentence of 22 persons), during the entire time that I have worked in the bodies of Justice, I do not know nor have I heard that other persons have been tried and sentenced for the bombing of the Soviet Embassy in 1951…!
QUESTION: The witness was shown the investigation file No. 1687-A of the Directorate of State Security, which also includes criminal court decision no. 64 days 27.II.1951 for the punishment of 22 persons and which begins with the defendant Tefik Shehu and ends with Sabiha Kasimati, which consists of 3 sheets and at the end of which there are 2 signatures of the judging panel. Also the record of the court session of 5 sheets, at the end of which there is no signature. What can you explain to us about this file and the documents that are in it?
ANSWER: Today I am looking at the investigative file of the State Security Directorate for the first time. I did not complete the inventory sheet of this file in my own handwriting. The decision of the High Military Court, I see that it is typed and in the composition of the judging panel, it is noted that Shuaip Panariti is the chairman, while Nonda Papuli and I are the members, and Idajet Bejo is the secretary.
In this decision, it is stated that the court session was held without the participation of the prosecutor, based on the new law on the trial of terrorist acts and organizations, and 22 persons were declared guilty, specifically Tefik Shehu, Hekuran Troka, Lluka Rrashkovic, Haki Kodra, Pandili Nova . Kasimati.
I don’t know any of these people and I haven’t seen them. It is not true that they have been brought for trial before the jury and I have not held any court session with these persons, neither in the offices of the M.P. Interior, nor in the offices of the Supreme Military Court, nor in another place.
At the end of the decision, on page 3, I see that only 2 signatures have been given. In the name of the chairman of the session, I recognize that it belongs to Shuaip Panariti, a signature of the member of the judging panel, it is a signature put by me.
The other member of the judging panel and the secretary are unsigned. This firm, as I explained above, I have thrown, being summoned to the offices of the State Security, being together with the President of the Supreme Military Court, Shuaip Panariti. They must have been in Kadri Hazbiu’s office, that’s how I remember, and Nonda Papuli and the secretary, Hydai Bejo.
The truth is that the persons listed in this decision have not appeared in court at all, as they have been shot before by the Security bodies, and we have drawn up and signed the decision completely formally, to justify their illegal and arbitrary shooting. .
Although the chairman Shuaip Panariti told us that the drafting and signing of this decision served the interests of the state at that time, I still feel that morally I should not have agreed with this arbitrariness and I should not have accepted the signing of this decision. But the fear of time has put me on this wrong path, that’s why I kept silent…!
I also saw the minutes of the court session and I have to say that it is the first time I have seen it. This minutes is completely fictitious, it was not presented to us to sign on the day we signed the decision, or later.
On the second page of the minutes of the session, I see that in serial number 23, Vesel Pitarka’s name is also marked with the relevant generalities, which are crossed out with a dash in brown writing ink and marked in brackets, 33 words are crossed out. These notes were not made by me. In this record, the statements of the defendants in the court session, after the reading of the prosecutor’s indictment, are recorded, statements that begin with the defendant Tefik Shehu and end with the defendant Reiz Selfo.
The content of these statements, like the entire content of the minutes of the court session, is completely false, since these defendants have not appeared in court, since, as I explained, they were shot a few days ago by the State Security bodies.
In this file I also see the 2-page indictment with the signature of the former Military Prosecutor General, Siri Çarçani, but I am seeing this indictment for the first time today. At the time when we compiled the court decision in the offices of the State Security, I did not see that Siri Çarçani came to the offices at that time…!
QUESTION: The explanations of witness Hydai Bejo, dated 26.11.1993, are read to the witness. What do you have to say?
ANSWER: I listened to the explanations of the witness Hydai Bejo, and I clarify that I have no objection to what he says. As I explained, I pointed out that it may have been Hydai, when we were called to M.P. Inside, but while Hydai says it wasn’t, he knows better, because I don’t remember well.
The truth is that no kind of trial has been held for the people who were shot. The minutes are closed and after being read, they are signed without any comments. The statement with the handwriting of the witness dated 2.12.1993 is attached to this record.
WITNESS SECRETARY INVESTIGATOR
Vangjel Kocani Loreta Paparizo Petrit Shehu, Mariglen Rrapi
(As I read the process, I want to add that at the time when the decision was formally made, we were not made aware of any special decree for the trial of terrorist offenses without a prosecutor, without a lawyer and without the presence of the defendants).
Enver Hoxha’s letter to Stalin, after the bomb incident in the Soviet embassy
After the event classified as a political terrorist act, Enver Hoxha, through an urgent telegram addressed to Stalin, pledged loyalty to the cause of communism of the Soviet Union and that they would severely punish the perpetrators and their supporters.
Date 21.02.1951
Comrade Josif Visarionovich Stalin
Kremlin, Moscow
The despicable attack that the fierce enemy of our people and the Soviet Union made against the Soviet Legation in Tirana on 19.02.1951, at 19:47, by throwing dynamite in the courtyard of the Legation, has hit us right in the heart of the Party and of our people.
This terrorist political act of the enemy has affected us extremely, because it was directed at what is the most beloved, dearest and most sacred of our people, the Soviet Union, which is everything to us and without which we did not exist and cannot to have life for our people and Party.
Comrade Stalin, we have not been vigilant enough, because we could have avoided that terrible thing that happened to us that lack of vigilance that we consider one of our gravest mistakes, should not be easily forgiven by the people and the Party ours. We, Comrade Stalin, swear to you and to the glorious Bolshevik Party that we will leave to our party and people this very serious thing that was caused by our lack of vigilance.
This despicable act of the enemy has outraged us beyond measure and made us increase our war and vigilance tenfold against the bloodthirsty imperialists, the American-British warmongers, against the fascist traitors of Belgrade, Athens and Rome, and the internal reaction, their tool.
Comrade Stalin, our Party will be merciless against the enemies of the Soviet Union, our people and peace. Our party, as always, will put all its forces to steel the love of our people towards its saviors, the Soviet Union, the Bolshevik Party and you, Comrade Stalin.
Internal and external enemies will never be able to scratch the boundless love and loyalty that our people have for you and the Soviet Union. Comrade Stalin, on behalf of all the comrades of the Central Committee of the Labor Party, gathered in the Plenum, we apologize to you, the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet Government, and we swear to you that we will wash away this disaster that happened to us.
We will be ruthless and vigilant against the internal and external enemy, we will strengthen and steel our party, we will Bolshevize it and we will strengthen the defense of our country more and more every day. Expressing to you the greatest love and loyalty that we have for the Bolshevik Party and for you, our genius and dear teacher, accept our revolutionary forgiveness.
On behalf of the plenum of the Central Committee of the Labor Party of Albania. Memorie .al
General Secretary
Enver Hoxha
