By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part One
Memorie.al / The archival documents that we are publishing in this article, which belong to the time period; December 1948-June 1949 and see the light of day for the first time, have been extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the fund of the former Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Republic of Albania. They represent one of the most important and dramatic moments in the history of communist Albania: the political trial, conviction and execution of Lieutenant General Koçi Xoxe, one of the main figures in the hierarchy of the Communist Party since the War period, who held the most important positions after Enver Hoxha, as; member of the Politburo and political secretary of the Communist Party of Albania, deputy. Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, etc. The crackdown on him began at the end of 1948 and was made public at the First Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, where he was accused of “Trotskyism” and “counter-revolutionary activities”. As a result, after a few days he was arrested and after an investigation process that lasted several months, in March 1949, he appeared before the court that sentenced him to death by firing squad.
While all of this and more about the figure of Koci Xoxe is already well-known, having been made public before and after the 1990s, the documents we are publishing in this article testify to Xoxe’s last efforts to save his life, and the ruthless decision of the communist regime, behind which was Enver Hoxha himself, to eliminate one of his most likely opponents, whom he saw as his main rival in the efforts to preserve the leadership of the Party and the state that Hoxha had officially led since the end of the War, in November 1944.
In the documents in question that we are publishing in this article, in addition to the formal accusations against Koci Xoxe such as; “careerist, Trotskyist and arriviste” and the request to appear before the “people’s court”, which “came” by telegram from the General Court of the Korça district, bring us and reflect the rhetoric of that time, (where the words “enemy of the people” had begun to be used frequently), we will also see the correspondence between the High Court, the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and the Ministry of Justice, which officially asked each other not to spare the life of Koci Xoxe.
All of this comes after an emotional appeal addressed to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, where Xoxe, among other things, also recalls his contribution to the National Liberation War and asks for mercy, for the sake of his family, wife and six young children, the eldest of whom was only 12 years old.
But as is now known, none of this would be taken into account and the decision to sentence him to death would not be discussed by any of those three “columns” where the communist state was held. What is noticeable in these documents (which we are publishing together with the relevant facsimiles), is that Koci Xoxe’s letter to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly for clemency is dated June 10, while all other documents, starting from; the report of the Minister of Justice Manol Konomi, sent to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, the report of the Supreme Court, sent to the Ministry of Justice, the report of the Secretary of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Sami Baholli, sent to the Ministry of Justice, the meeting of the Presidency of the People’s Assembly, where Koci Xoxe’s request for clemency was considered, the decision of that Presidium refusing to clemency his life, as well as the minutes of the date of Koci Xoxe’s execution. So, all of these are dated June 11, 1949, which is practically impossible, also due to physical time constraints, for all of these meetings to have been held, which raises doubts that they were formulated days later.
Thus, his execution on June 11, 1949 (he was reportedly shot somewhere on the outskirts of Tirana, in a place between the former Dog School and the Tufina Cemetery) marked the beginning of a series of purges of the communist elite, which lasted nearly 40 years and ended with the death of dictator Enver Hoxha, in the mid-1980s.
TELEGRAM FROM THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE KORÇA COURT, REQUESTING KOXI XOXE AND PANDI KRISTO TO APPEAR BEFORE THE PEOPLE’S COURT AND GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR THE MISTAKES THEY HAVE DONE.
16.XII. 1948
We, the broad Council of the Korça Court, after seeing the extensive and continuous activity of the careerist, Trotskyist and arriviste Koci Xoxe, to the detriment of the people and the homeland, unanimously decided that Kocio Xoxe and Pandi Kristo should appear before the people’s court as soon as possible, and be held accountable for all the evil they have done.
For the Council of the Court
Gjush Rustemi
RELATIONSHIP OF THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE MANOL KONOMI, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, ON THE PRAYER OF THE DEATH SENTENCED KOCI XOXE, TO BE PARISHED FOR HIS LIFE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA Tirana, 11.VI.940
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE V.F – L.P.
(Administration Branch)
No. Prot. 488 Res.
Subject: Request for pardon of Koci Xoxe
Presidium of the People’s Assembly
Tirana
Attached are the prayers of the person sentenced to death by the Supreme Court, Koci Xoxe, addressed to that Presidium and the Presidency of the People’s Assembly, with which he requests to be pardoned.
We also send you the original letter, No. 227, dated 11.6.1949 of the Supreme Court.
Referring to the above and taking into account the social danger of the convicted person as well as the gravity of the crimes committed by him, we are of the opinion that the requested pardon should not be granted.
MINISTER
Manol Konomi
Rejected
11.6.1949
KOCI XOXE’S LETTER SENT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, WHERE HE ASKED FOR APOLOGY FOR THE GREAT CONTRIBUTION HE HAD GIVEN TO THE NATIONAL LIBERATION WAR SINCE THE TIME OF THE MONARCHY
V.F. L.P.
To the Presidency of the People’s Assembly, for the People’s Assembly
Tirana
On today’s date, June 11, 1949, the High Court decided my punishment, with death.
Taking advantage of the occasion that the People’s Assembly is in open session, this appeal, to that esteemed Assembly to spare my life, considering my contribution that I have given to the people’s war, since the time of the Zog regime, and the N.Ç. War from the beginning and until the end.
Certain that my contribution will not be underestimated and that my life will be spared, that….against the people and the Republic, I also tell that Presidium, that during the development of the process and the trial, I have been seriously affected by some problems of the process and I have fallen into a very great sensitivity and annoyance, and I have erred in various positions, I am also guilty of these positions.
Grant me this pardon, if the interests of the people, the party and socialism allow it.
I wish that Albania may enjoy…even from prison, and my Kalmans.
May the People’s Republic be protected, may the people be protected, may our party be protected, and may the leader of the Party and the people, Comrade Enver, be protected.
In the hope that my contribution will not be underestimated, and that my life will be spared, I take the opportunity to present my most valuable considerations.
With respect
Tirana, on 10.VI.949 Koci Xoxe
LETTER FROM THE HIGH COURT TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, REQUESTING THAT THE DEATH SENTENCED, KOCI XOXE, SHOULD NOT BE EXEMPTED.
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA V.F. – L.P.
HIGH COURT Tirana, 11.VI.1949
Ministry of Justice
Tirana
Following the two requests for clemency of the death row inmate, Koci Xoxe, addressed to the Presidium and Presidency of the People’s Assembly, this Court is of the opinion that his requests be rejected.
Member Member Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Vasil Trimçev Niko Zoto Frederik Nosi
LETTER FROM THE HIGH COURT TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, WITH THE TWO TELEGRAMS SENT TO IT BY THE FAMILY OF KOCI XOXE, WHERE THEY REQUEST THAT THEIR MAN’S LIFE BE RENOWNED
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA V.F. – L.P.
Supreme Court Tirana on 11.VI.1949
No. 227/2
Ministry of Justice
Tirana
Attached are two telegrams sent to this Court, for the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, by the family members of the death row convict Koci Xoxe, for presentation to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly.
Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Frederik Nosi
Presidium of the People’s Assembly
On the competence of the Ministry of Justice
Gj. Hoxha
A.A.
Your request was denied
11.6.’49
ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGH COURT
PRESADIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, TIRANA
TIRANA TIRANA 457 15 53 11/6/’949
THE HIGH COURT DECIDED TO SENTENCE MY SON, KOCI XOXE, TO DEATH, I HUMBLY PRAY THAT HIS LIFE MAY BE MERCIFUL, CONSIDERING, EVEN THE SMALLEST CONTRIBUTION HE MADE TO THE MOVEMENT IN THE BEGINNING. WITH RESPECT, DHIMITËR XOXE.
ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGH COURT
PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, TIRANA
TIRANA TIRANA 457 15 53 11/6/’949
THE HIGH COURT ON JUNE 10, 949, DECIDED THE DEATH SENTENCE OF MY HUSBAND, KOCI XOXE, IN MY PERSONAL NAME AND THAT OF MY SIX CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY ONE IS 12 YEARS OLD, I PRAY AND ASK FOR MERCY, THAT THE LIFE OF MY HUSBAND BE SENTENCED AND MY HUMILITY, SOFIKA XOXE. Memorie.al
Continued in the next issue
