By Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/Immediately after the end of the War, around the beginning of 1945, the new Albanian Government led by Enver Hoxha published a list of names of those who had fled the country at the end of 1944. At the top of this list, not merely by alphabetical coincidence, were Ahmet Zogu and Abaz Kupi. These and others – former high exponents of Balli Kombëtar (National Front) and Legaliteti (Legality Movement), as well as high-ranking officials from previous periods – were declared “criminals and enemies of the people” by the Minister of Justice, Manol Konomi, a close friend of Hoxha. They were prohibited from returning, even when the communist regime announced various amnesties, such as the one in 1958, where 208 people remained excluded. For Abaz Kupi, the government even requested international extradition.
From 1945 until the end of the regime in 1990, this list of fugitives underwent changes. However, the names of King Zog and Abaz Kupi remained at the top until their deaths (in 1961 and 1976, respectively).
The Start of Pursuit and Surveillance: The King under Watch
The communist regime, which labeled these individuals as “reactionary emigration,” was not satisfied with just declaring them enemies. Intense pursuit and surveillance began immediately, directed by the Branch and later the Directorate of Intelligence within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Officers disguised as diplomats in Albanian representations worldwide, as well as secret agents, were tasked with controlling this emigration.
For a period, official Tirana managed to have complete control even over King Zog himself while he lived in Cannes, France. This was achieved through the Albanian Intelligence agent, Isuf Mullaj, who became part of the Royal Court and even managed to lead a branch of the Legality Movement in Belgium. This is a widely known fact now, although it has been denied or downplayed by Legality exponents after the ’90s.
Physical Elimination: Attempts on the Kings
However, the main question and the essence of this article remains: Has there ever been an attempt at the physical elimination of King Zog, and later King Leka Zogu, by the regime of Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia, through the Albanian Intelligence?
Regarding King Zog, public testimonies after the ’90s (such as that of the former intelligence officer L.H., who graduated from the KGB School) have affirmed that there was initially an order from Tirana to eliminate him, but this order was cancelled due to fear of a potential reprisal from the emigration against Albanian diplomatic personnel.
While this remains at the level of testimonies for King Zog, the situation changes for his heir. For King Leka Zogu, this is revealed directly by archival documents. These documents show that there was an attempt to poison him in 1970!
Who gave the order for this elimination? Why was this decision made? How the murder to be carried out and why was was the order ultimately canceled?
In relation to these questions, this article exclusively publishes a secret document (now declassified) from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (now part of the AIDSSH fund), bringing the respective facsimiles for the first time.
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE LETTER OF JONUZ ÇIRAKU, FORMER CIPHER CLERK AT THE ALBANIAN MISSION TO THE UN IN THE YEARS 1970 – 1972, SENT TO THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS HEKURAN ISAI, IN JANUARY 1983
TO THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
COMRADE HEKURAN ISAI
TIRANA
From 1970 until July 1972, I worked as a cipher clerk at our Mission in New York. During this time, I deciphered a telegram addressed to the Intelligence Directorate, signed, as far as I remember, by the former Director of Intelligence Jonuz Mersini, or by his deputies A.Ç. and S.K.
The telegram in question requested that the resident there (in New York), following the order in this telegram, secure slow-acting poisons. Also, as far as I remember, the telegram requested various weapons equipment for saboteurs.
For the accuracy of this information, I suggest checking the telegrams of this period.
A reply to the above request was not sent via cipher.
Respectfully,
1.3.1983
Jonuz Çiraku
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE RESPONSE OF THE FORMER INTELLIGENCE OFFICER AT THE ALBANIAN MISSION TO THE UN, KOZMA MOJA, REGARDING THE POISON AND WEAPONS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT REQUESTED BY KADRI HAZBIU
Secret
12.3.1983
Tirana
Operational Note
Regarding Jonuz Çiraku’s information about a request from the Center (Intelligence Directorate), sent to the New York Residency, for slow-acting poisons and equipment for saboteurs, I emphasize that I did not receive such a radiogram.
I also discussed this with Comrade Sokol Shehu, an Operational Worker at the time in New York, and he does not recall such a radiogram, or any attempts by the Residency to find such materials on the market or through collaborators (B.p.).
Comrade S. Ç., who came after me in July 1972 to replace me, does not recall such a thing either.
Kozma Moja
Note:
Comrade Sefer Ramaj says that Jonuz Mersini was questioned and remembers that such means were used up at that time.
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE LETTER OF THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE JONUZ MERSINI, REGARDING THE CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE SEFER RAMAJ, CONCERNING THE 1970 RADIOGRAM, WITH KADRI HAZBIU’S REQUESTS FOR POISONS, WEAPONS, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
From the information of Jonuz Mersini, dated 16.5.1983
In a conversation with Comrade Sefer Ramaj, Director of Directorate III, he asked me if I could provide any clarification regarding a radiogram that was sent to our residency in New York in 1970, requesting the securing of slow-acting poison doses. I do not recall this, as 13 years have passed since that time and I do not remember if such a radiogram was sent or not.
However, I do remember that at that time, the renegade Leka Zogu self-proclaimed “King of the Albanians” and began a widespread activity against our country and for uniting the reactionary emigration around him. At this time, Kadri Hazbiu assigned us the task of physically liquidating Leka Zogu, through assassination or poisoning. For this, he gave us instructions to secure the appropriate means, such as silenced weapons and slow-acting poisons.
We studied our possibilities for this action and found a suitable agent, or friend of ours (I don’t recall exactly), in France, who had worked as Leka Zogu’s cook, and although he was now retired, Gerlandina kept him close, and he often went to Spain where Leka Zogu resided. We reported this option to Kadri Hazbiu, he approved it and told us to try to secure the poison so that the action could be carried out this way.
Later, Kadri Hazbiu told us to drop this matter, because actions involving physical terror are not a method of our intelligence work, but to continue the surveillance and processing of Leka Zogu. The problem was closed then, and during the time I was in the Directorate, neither slow-acting poison, nor silenced weapons, nor were other operational technical means secured by the residencies. / Memorie.al
Jonuz Mersini
Former Director of the Intelligence Directorate
