By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Four
Memorie.al / Just like all wars, wherever and whenever they have occurred, the one now known as the “Anti-Fascist National Liberation War” in the years 1939–1944 also has its dark side. From that period of time onward, but mainly after the 1990s with the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, there have been many testimonies, and hundreds of archival documents have emerged that shed light on many unknown events, the majority of which constitute what is now considered by many scholars and historians as the dark sides of the “Anti-Fascist National Liberation War”!
Such as, for example, the murder of some of the most prominent names, well-known personalities of the Anti-Fascist Movement such as; Qemal Stafa, Vojo Kushi, Ali Demi, Raqi Qirinxhi, Ramiz Aranitasi, Jorgo Plaku, Mustafa Gjinishi, Fejzo Gjomema, etc., most of whom were Communists holding the high title of “Hero of the People,” for whom there are many disputes about the manner and circumstances in which they were killed or disappeared without a trace. Such is the case of the “Martyr of the Fatherland,” Raqi Qirinxhi, from the city of Korça, former partisan quartermaster of the District Operational Staff, who, at the moment of his disappearance, had the finances (gold) of the partisan unit he belonged to with him.
While Qirinxhiu’s murder remains still shrouded in mystery, for the majority of the aforementioned names and for many, many others, there are accusations and testimonies with concrete names and facts, as well as archival documents discovered after the 1990s, which cast shadows of doubt over their killings, such as; “settling of scores,” “robbery,” “personal revenge,” “struggle for power,” and even for “romantic affairs,” or various other trivial causes.
One of these murders, which has been discussed since the 1990s, is that of Sulo Tragjasi, originally from Vlora, (“Martyr of the Fatherland”), who was killed by Kasem Trebeshina, former member of the guerrilla unit of the Fier district and later a partisan with functions in the ranks of the National Liberation Army (Deputy Commissioner of the 12th Assault Brigade). After the end of the War, having served several years in the ranks of the State Security with the rank of Captain, he went to study in the Soviet Union and after returning home, worked for a long time as an actor in the National Theater and then as a freelance writer, until he was arrested and sentenced to prison in 1954 and released in 1955.
After his release from prison, he was interned for years, suffering in many distant villages, until he was arrested again in 1980 and sentenced to 8 years in prison for “agitation and propaganda against the people’s power.” The well-known writer Kasem Trebeshina himself admitted to the murder of Sulo Tragjasi, and even dealt with it in detail in some of the books published after the 1990s, giving his version of that murder, which is said to have troubled him greatly, even causing a severe spiritual shock, until the end of his life.
While all of the above are now quite well known, in this article we are publishing some archival documents of the former State Security (taken from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), which contain some testimonies from people from the Fier district, former members and veterans of the Anti-Fascist War, given to the State Security investigators in the years 1982–1983, which speak not only about the murder committed by Kasem Trebeshina but also about many other murders and assassination attempts made in the Fier district in the years 1942–1944, where, according to the documents in question, the person who ordered them appears to have been Myzafer Trebeshina, the political leader of that district at the time, and after the end of the War and until the early 1980s, serving as First Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Executive Committee in several districts.
These testimonies taken at the time (1982–1983), when Kasem Trebeshina was arrested in the State Security Investigation cells (Prison 313) in Tirana, while his brother Myzafer Trebeshina was in the function of Chairman of the Democratic Front of the Fier district, constitute one of the only three investigative processes that the communist regime of Enver Hoxha opened for events of the War period, after that of the murder of Qemal Stafa and the Councillors of Hekal. Files that were closed only with the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, without any concrete result.
The time period when the investigative process for clarifying the murder of the “Martyr of the Fatherland,” Sulo Tragjasi, took place is after the event of the “suicide” of Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, and the accusation against Trebeshina, or rather the opening of that file precisely at that time, casts a shadow of doubt that it was also because he (Kasem) was the first cousin of Fiqret Sanxhaktari Shehu, the wife of the dead prime minister, who was also arrested at that time in the investigation cells (Prison 313), along with her two sons, Skënderi and Bashkimi. Where, ironically, his nephew, Fatos Trebeshina, (Myzafer’s son, who at that time held the function of Chairman of the Democratic Front of the Fier district) was also at the Tirana Investigation when the process against Kasem Trebeshina was taking place, and after going to trial, Kasem was sent to serve his sentence in Ballsh prison.
But even this version raises doubts again, as the arrest of Kasem Trebeshina had taken place in 1980, when Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu was at the height of his power. While regarding these matters and others related to this issue, there is room for much research and analysis, in this article we are publishing the archival documents in question, which, as we emphasized at the beginning of this article, shed light on some of the darkest sides of the “Anti-Fascist National Liberation War,” which are being published for the first time and with the respective facsimiles, by Memorie.al.
Continued from the previous issue
REPORT OF THE SIGURIMI AGENT WITH THE PSEUDONYM “MËSUESI” (THE TEACHER), GIVEN TO OPERATIONAL WORKER ILIR ÇEPANI, REGARDING THE CONVERSATIONS HELD BY HIM WITH MYZAFER TREBESHINA, ABOUT THE MURDER OF MARTYR SULO TRAGJASI BY HIS BROTHER KASEM TREBESHINA
S e c r e t
Received: P. Operative Ilir Çepani
Given B. Worker “Teacher”
REPORT
The source reports that in the conversation he had on January 20, 1983, with Myzafer Trebeshina, concerning some problems of the National Liberation War in the Fier district, Myzaferi explained to him regarding the murder of Andon Profka and Rakip Kryeziu. Myzaferi told him:
“Rakip Kryeziu was never a member of the guerrilla unit; Rakip did not know the norms and decisions of the Party, acted on his own initiative, and entered the city of Fier at all times, he did not recognize the leadership of the Party.
As for Andon Profka,” – Myzaferi continued, – “this man was never a member of the guerrilla units and had no activity, but we (the Party) in Fier appointed him Commissioner of the ‘Semani’ Battalion, because he was a Myzeqar and the job required this of us.
As for Llazi Suku,” – Myzaferi continued, – “initially he was with the guerrilla units, but at the moment Andoni and Rakipi were killed, Llazi was nothing.
Regarding their murder,” – Myzaferi continued, – “I don’t know why they went to Grecalli and what task they had and who had assigned them.”
In the conversation, Myzafer Trebeshina explained to him the problem of the murder of Sulo Xhelili (Tragjasi).
Speaking about this problem, Myzaferi explained to him: “Sulua was a peasant from Vlora whom I did not know initially. Bilbil Klosi brought him to me and introduced him as a brave and consistent man. I recognized him as quick in walking.
After staying with us for some time, he befriended Petro Ndreu, who we later learned was an English agent. After some time, we learned that Petro Ndreu and Sulo Xhelili had decided to commit a robbery at Sami Vrioni’s house and escape.
We immediately gathered the Party cell in the village of Sheqishtë, which included Xox Andoni, Tomor Asllani, etc., and decided to execute Sulo as an enemy person.
After the meeting, we went to the place where the partisans were, and Sulua aimed his rifle at me to kill me. I didn’t see it myself; Xox Andoni told me this, who shouted at Sulo what he was doing. Sulua replied that he was going to kill a bird that was on a branch.
Xoxi told Sulo; don’t shoot because you will cause an alarm and expose us. After some time, Sulua insisted on going to Fier for a personal matter, and seeing his persistence, we decided to let him go, accompanied by someone, since we were suspicious of him.
On the way to Fier, I was told – since I wasn’t there myself – that Sulo had been killed by Kasem Trebeshina. Xox Andoni, who was with Sulo, told me this.”
“The Teacher”
Task:
Stay close to Myzafer and in ongoing contacts and conversations you will have with him about these problems, try to learn other circumstances about the murder of Sulo Tragjasi and Rakip Kryeziu.
Clarification:
Myzafer Trebeshina is A.P., Chairman of the Democratic Front of the district, in his charge there are other materials that say that the martyr Sulo Tragjasi was killed on his order.
Kasem Trebeshina, Myzafer’s brother, is in prison, for agitation and propaganda, serving his sentence in ward 309 in Ballsh.
Rating:
The information is of operational interest, because it provides information about the murder of the martyr Sulo Tragjasi and Rakip Kryeziu, and that the author of the murder of the martyr Sulo Tragjasi is Kasem Trebeshina.
Operational Measure:
- The data should be typed in two copies, one of which should be passed to Operational Worker Gjergji Stefo, concerning Kasem Trebeshina.
- Kasem Trebeshina should be re-processed in active processing 2/A, for crimes committed during the War, until the end of February.
- Comrades Tajar Asllani, Loni Çuko, etc., should be interviewed to clarify the circumstances of Sulo Tragjasi’s
- p. “Gjanica” should be activated in the direction of Myzafer Trebeshina, to learn his reaction to these problems. / Memorie.al
OPERATIONAL WORKER
Ilir Çepani
