By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Eleven
Memorie.al / It was the morning of September 1, 1976, when the workers of the Fishing Enterprise who were the first to arrive at their workplace located on the shore of Lake Shkodra near the village of Shiroka, found that the guard of the enterprise of that sector was surprisingly missing, as well as the office staff, something that had never happened before?! This is because, among other things, there was also the pier where all the fishing boats were anchored, which, tied with chains and locked with a key, were considered objects of special importance and were under the control and double guard, both by the fishing enterprise and by the Border Post located in the village of Zogaj, where the state border with Montenegro, at that time part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of Marshal Tito, was also located.
Although a torrential and stormy rain continued to fall, which had started since midnight, the fishermen began to look for the guard and the foreman of their company, calling them by name, but in vain, because no one answered? But after a while, they were stunned and terrified, when just a few meters away from the fish warehouse, they saw a corpse lying on the ground with no signs of life…! It was the 50-year-old guard, Fadil Rizaj, who had been serving in that position for several years. No one dared to touch him with their hands, because not only was he bloody and with visible marks on his head and body, but his hands were tied with rope from behind his body and also his respiratory organs, tied with a cloth behind his head…! Which clearly meant that he had been killed…?
After that scene of horror, some of the fishermen ran to the offices to call the heads of their company and the Internal Affairs Branch as well, but the telephone line was cut and the connection to Shkodra could not be established…! Meanwhile, from other checks to find the company’s wreck, it was also found that one of the boats (fishing boats) was missing from the pier on the lake shore, precisely the one known as; “Health Boat”, and the safe that held their keys, was broken with a crowbar!
Meanwhile, the alarm was given and there were some of the officers and main chiefs of the Shkodra Internal Affairs Branch, who immediately determined that not only were they dealing with a serious crime, but also with an escape by boat across the lake, which, among other things, would also aggravate their position before their superiors at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tirana. Meanwhile, the news spread and the investigative group with the relevant experts immediately began work to uncover the crime that had occurred and unravel the entire event, which a few days later would shock not only the city and district of Shkodra, but also Tivar, Titograd and Ulcinj in Montenegro!
But what had really happened, who and why had killed the fishing guard Fadil Rizaja? How many people had escaped and what had happened at midnight on August 31, as September 1, 1976 dawned, as a heavy rain fell with thunder and lightning, which was said to have never been remembered, even by the oldest residents of those parts? Why were several dead bodies found on the shore of the lake on the Yugoslav side and another corpse on our side of the border, near the border post in the village of Zogaj? How was the main author of that escape able to swim to the part of the lake that belonged to the border of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on that dark night with rain, waves and storm?
Who was Hamit Arif Myrto and what did he initially say to the residents of that area, when they saw him completely naked in the alleys of their village, as well as to the competent Yugoslav authorities, regarding the reasons for his escape? What did the UDB authorities ask Hamit during the investigation process in several separate offices in Tivar, Titograd and Ulcinj, where they sent him, frequently changing his location, his “cellmates” and the investigators who interrogated him? What did he testify to when they asked him about the military bases and units, the missile unit and other installations that were located at that time in the Shkodra district, as well as the tracts that were dropped in that city those days, against the Party of Labor and Enver Hoxha?
What did Hamit tell the UDB bodies, regarding his brother-in-law, a minister in the government headed by Mehmet Shehu, and also one of the closest people to the dictator Enver Hoxha, who remained in that position until the collapse of the communist regime? Who was the “photographer” from Shkodra who had escaped to Yugoslavia a few years ago and why were all the investigators asking Hamit about that person? Why did the Yugoslav UDB authorities decide to return Hamit Myrto to Albania, handing him over to the Albanian State Security bodies, even though they were convinced that he had not been sent on a secret mission?
What did Hamit testify during the investigative process, such as the reasons that had forced him to undertake that dangerous adventure, and also everything he had told the UDB? What did Hamit write in the letter addressed to Enver Hoxha to the Minister of Defense Beqir Balluku and how was it possible to find that letter in his house in Shkodra? What did Hamit’s family members, relatives, neighbors, work colleagues, the brigadier, the director of the Fishing Enterprise, the chairman of the People’s Council of the “Partizani” Neighborhood where he lived, and other people who were called to testify against him, testify during the investigation process, in the fall of 1976?
Why was the trial of Hamit Myrtos held in the village of Shiroka, how much was he convicted by the Shkodra District Court, the Criminal College of the Supreme Court and why did the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, leave their decisions in force, for his death sentence (by hanging) even after that terrible tragedy that had happened to him; where he lost his entire family? What were Hamit’s last words before the firing squad and why, to this day, has his grave not yet been found?!
Regarding these and other of the most serious and tragic events that the Shkodra region and Montenegro experienced in those years, we are informed by the archival documents of the voluminous relevant file that Memorie.al has provided, which we are publishing in several issues (with the relevant facsimiles and photos), with the sole purpose of shedding light and making known the monstrous crimes that occurred at that time, where Albanians, in order to escape the communist hell, were forced to undertake the most dangerous adventures towards the state border, just like the main character of this event, Hamit Arif Myrtja!
Continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVE DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF THE INTERROGATION OF THE WITNESS RIFAT RIZA RZEZIA, BY THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE SHKODRA INTERNAL BRANCH, JAKE TEFIKU
MINUTES
(Of questioning the witness)
Today, on 29.10.1976, in the city of Shkodra, I, the investigator of the Internal Affairs Branch, Jake Tefiku, questioned as a witness Rifat Riza Rreza, born in 1931, with 8 years of education, place of residence Zus Shkodra, guard duty at the Shkodra Guard Inspectorate, A.P., secretary of the sector organization and deputy sec. of the Bureau, unconvicted, ID card number, Identification, relationship with the defendant, Indifferent.
The investigator warned me of criminal liability under Article 220 of the Criminal Code, for false testimony.
Rifat Rrezia
Regarding the case, I can say the following:
Question: Did you know the defendant and what were your and your family’s relationships with this person and his family?
Answer: I have heard of Hamit Myrto from Shiroka by name but I don’t know him by face. With him as a family, whether I as a person or my brothers and our families, we have not had and do not have a single disagreement, whether early or late.
Question: What can you tell us about the disagreements that the victim Fadil had with the defendant Hamit Myrtja?
Answer: I do not know that there was any disagreement between Fadil and Hamit, whether at work or outside of it. Fadil was the eldest of us, we are four brothers, I am the third, Fadil communicated with me a lot and would tell me everything, if he had any concerns. So he never reserved me, if he had had a momentary disagreement with Hamit Myrto, he would definitely have told me.
Question: What people are on his side, the victim Fadil?
Answer: Fadil left behind a son about 23 years old and another 18, his wife and daughter. He does not have another son.
Question: How long has Fadil served at the Fishing Center?
Answer: Fadil has been a night watchman at the Fishing Center for about three years. He has consistently served well and the company and those who have checked his work have not had any complaints about him.
Question: What social service has Fadil performed in the village?
Answer: After the liberation, Fadil was for a long time the Chairman of the Council in the village of Zus, since the liberation of Albania, until 1958, he held this position. Later he participated in mass organizations, as Chairman of the War Veterans Organization, assistant judge. In a word, not that I had a brother, but he has always been an active and pro-power person. I have nothing else to say, the laws of the state and our Party, let them resolve the issue as they know how. I am a communist and outside the laws and outside the Party line, he did not ask for anything to fulfill my requests and whims. Once again, I repeat, that I am in solidarity with the decisions of the Party and the laws of our state. Fadil was killed as a man on duty and, in the performance of his duty and not for personal motives.
The witness Investigator
Rifart Rrezia Jake Tefiku
ARCHIVE DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF THE INTERROGATION OF THE WITNESS IBRAHIM STANKAJ, BY THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE SHKODRA INTERNAL BRANCH, JAKE TEFIKU
MINUTES
(Of questioning the witness)
Shkodra, today, on October 29, 1976, I, Jake Tefiku, investigator of the Internal Affairs Branch, questioned as a witness Ibrahim Stankaj, son of Jonuz and Nurije, born on September 15, 1924, born and residing in the “Partizani” neighborhood of the city of Shkodra, with secondary education, guard duty in the Shkodra Guard Inspectorate, A.P., married, unconvicted, A.P., acting as chairman of the People’s Council of the “Partizani” neighborhood.
The investigator warned me of criminal liability under Article 220 of the Criminal Code, for false testimony.
Witness
Ibrahim Stankaj
Regarding the matter I am being asked, I can tell you that: I am the chairman of the People’s Council of the “Partizani” neighborhood of the city of Shkodra, among others I have known the defendant Hamit Arif Myrto. During the time that I am the chairman of the Council, Hamit Myrto came from another neighborhood to our neighborhood as a resident, as far as I know he came to the neighborhood because there was a dispute with his family members, but I do not know the details. Initially he took refuge with his father-in-law, Xhemal Seferaj, and later when we had the opportunity, we settled him in a small room that was insufficient for his residence, but that was all our opportunity was. Hamit Myrto then came and requested an extension for his residence, presenting us with a request and a certificate issued by the Fishing Enterprise.
As the Council Chairman, regarding Hamit’s request, I responded that we as a neighborhood do not have a certain quota of apartments for housing the residents of our neighborhood, so we would also fulfill his request, but we would be given the opportunity to free up an apartment when someone who has not been registered leaves. I also told Hamit that in addition to the request he submitted to us as the Neighborhood Council for the expansion of housing, he should make a request to the People’s Council of the City, which has more opportunities to resolve his request. I also told him to inquire about this problem through the company where he works. As far as I know, Hamit Myrtja, who lives in our neighborhood, has not been given the opportunity to have any apartment available to arrange for him, according to the request he had made to us.
Question: The defendant Hamit MYrto told the investigator that the People’s Council gave apartments to people who were not passported and my request was not taken into account, even though I was in need. What can you tell us about this?
Answer: It is not excluded that in our neighborhood there are passported people who were working at the “Mao Ce Dun” Hydropower Plant, to whom the company itself provided housing in the apartments it built. For these categories of people and housing contingents, we as the government in the neighborhood do not have the authority to intervene. I do not know of other cases that we have distributed, as I explained above.
Question: Has Hamit himself or his wife Hasija ever submitted a request to you to place his wife named Hasije Myrtja in work?
Answer: As far as I remember, they did not submit a request to us to place Hasija in work.
Question: What can you tell us about the behavior and attitude of Hamit Myrtja and his family?
Answer: As far as Hamit is concerned, he is rarely seen in the neighborhood, we have not had any concerns from him, and his family has not been active in the neighborhood, they have been watching their work.
I read the process, it is written correctly and I sign it.
The witness Investigator
Rifart Rrezia Jake Tefiku
THE INDICTMENT OF THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE INTERNAL BRANCH OF SHKODRA, JAKE TEFIKU, SENT TO THE DISTRICT PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE FOR THE TRIAL TO BE HELD AGAINST THE DEFENDANT HAMIT ARIF MYRTJA
APPROVED Investigation file 344
Prosecutor
Faik Minarolli
ACT – ACCUSATION
Against the defendant
HAMIT ARIF MYRTAJ
Charged under Articles 67, 64, and 71/1 of the Criminal Code
As the day dawned on September 1, 1976, and precisely in the early hours of the morning, the state guard of the Fishing Enterprise, FADIL RIZA RREZIJA, was found tied up and killed.
This act of this kind indignantly outraged the workers of this enterprise and later the residents and those who learned about the event. In particular, it angered and revolted both young and old when it was learned that the attack on the guard who was carrying out his assigned duty was carried out by the bandit Hamit Arif Myrtja, in a surprising and treacherous manner, in order to carry out without hindrance his act of treason against the Fatherland in the form of escaping to Yugoslavia. On this basis, the investigation bodies of the Shkodra district immediately went to the place and began the investigation, from which the following results emerged:
The defendant Hamit Myrtaj, although he comes from a poor family and in good political standing, in appearance created the impression of a kind, careful, disciplined and self-sacrificing worker, while in his inner world he hid anger and hatred, ambition and hostile revenge, waiting to raise the knife to stab the Party, the government and its people. Dissatisfied to the core for the injustices that had allegedly been done to him, by not providing him with a house to live in, by not giving him a job for his wife, who in fact has no request in the government offices in her name, he began to talk to his wife, Hasije Myrtja, to prepare her to put her on the path of his hostile views and opinions. His wife, Hasije, instead of hindering and avoiding the defendant Hamit, from his criminal thoughts and preparations, sympathized and completely united without any hesitation with the views of the defendant Hamit, and became an active collaborator.
As has resulted from the comprehensive investigation of this matter, the recent measures of our glorious Party and the government, such as the reduction of high salaries and the review of salaries of several sectors, which included fishermen, were welcomed and fully supported by our people, workers and cadres everywhere. However, the opposite happened with the defendant Hamit, and these created in him a hatred that he could no longer keep suppressed in his inner world. So he began to openly discuss with his wife that with his “minimum” monthly income of 806 ALL per month, he could not make ends meet and provide for himself, his wife, and his children.
Both agreed that in order not to “die” for bread in Albania, they would escape and go to the Titoist “paradise”, where they would find their happiness and comfort. Enemies are accustomed to slandering and cynically inventing, to poison the conscience of other unformed people. This is their well-known method, but it is stale. One of these is the person of the accused Hamit Myrtja, who, after being inspired by the Titoist propaganda advertisement, which he watched every night on his television set, did not fail to draft a letter with defamatory and disgusting content for those who hear it addressed to our Party, to attack its policy towards the principled stance and without any concessions towards all early and late enemies, up to the conspiracies in the army and with the traitor Beqir Balluku at the head with his collaborators. And here is how he writes in a letter found in his apartment… Albania and not Yugoslavia have fenced off their borders, if they were free like in other countries, not even 16 people would have been able to sit there…”! And below he says: “That’s why your friends, Beqir Balluku and…… Betrayed your brothers, as they too have understood that this is not how you live, it is a life of poverty, a cruel life…”!
The defendant Hamit Myrtja, set himself the task of carrying out the act of betrayal, of going to Tito’s Yugoslavia as soon as possible, and made all the necessary preparations. He drew up a plan, determining the escape option, determined the itinerary, gathered the necessary tools that would serve him to achieve his goal, such as; pliers, pliers, keys, hammers, twine, wire, a rope-shaped net, various berets, a veil, clothing, a knife, bread etc. After securing these, he thought and drew up his plan on how to seize the motor boats and, failing that, those with oars, he ensured who was the guard in their protection and security, if they had weapons and readiness, he thought that when it was his turn to be a guard in his brigade, he thought with deceit that he could take over the duty of the guard officer at night, and there, after strangling and killing the guard, escape across the lake to Yugoslavia. He discussed all of this with the traitor Hasije Myrtja, his wife, and both of them approved and decided that on the night of the defendant Hami taking over the duty of the guard officer, they would carry out the criminal act. Thus, as they decided, they acted.
In the afternoon of 31.8.1976, the defendant Hamit Myrtaj, in a meeting with Brigadier Qazim Ulkonja, asked the latter to voluntarily take on the duty of guard officer, because he needed it the second day and would supposedly take a break. Witness Qazim Ulkonja, not suspecting the criminal intent of the defendant Hamit, approved his request. The defendant Hamit was happy that he had achieved his goal of taking on the duty of guard officer, which he had been thinking about for a long time. At 15:00, the defendant Hamit returned to his apartment, where he enthusiastically informed his wife, the traitor Hasije. Without wasting the time expected for many months, they prepared the belongings and tools that they would take with them. They took in two bags, his wife’s and his, the blackened veil from his wife Hasije, so as not to be detected at night on the lake, twine, copper wire, hammer, knife, keys, recorder, pliers, nets, handkerchiefs, clothing, money, bread, cookies, clothing items, etc., and when they found that they had filled everything meticulously, so as not to waste time, to lose track and not to be detected by their absence by the neighbor, they opened the word that they would go to their aunt’s for dinner that night. With the things collected in their bags, with the children on their bicycles, the two traitors set off in the form of a walk, side by side, talking and laughing, they go to the veranda of the Tourism, eat and drink and around 10:00 p.m., they set off on foot in the direction of the Fishing Enterprise. They arrive there around 11 p.m. On the way, the defendant Hamit Myrtja develops a plan on how they would deceive the guard Fadil Rrezia, lest he become suspicious when he sees the wife and children of the defendant Hamit. Memorie.al
Shkodra 31.11.1976 INVESTIGATOR
Jake Tefiku
