“Refije Hana Malaj (Koculi), 90 years old, born in Shkozë, Vlorë district, residing in Tirana, is the wife of Qazim Koculi, a former exponent of Balli Kombëtar (The National Front)…” / Decision of the Internment-Deportation Commission, the year 1967.

By Dashnor Kaloçi

Part eleven

Memorie.al / From 1944, when it came to power, until the end of 1990, the communist regime of dictator Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia – based on the theory and “teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin” as well as the ideology they devised and applied across nearly half the world – continuously waged class warfare, executing, imprisoning, or interning their political opponents. In this context, starting from December 1944, when Enver Hoxha and the government he headed descended from the mountains and took power, alongside executions with and without trial, the internment of tens and hundreds of families began. These were families they considered “overthrown classes” or accused of being “enemies of the people” – mainly wealthy or middle-class families, former officials of King Zog’s Monarchy, who during the occupation period had joined or supported the nationalist organizations “Balli Kombëtar” or “Legaliteti.”

This punitive “practice” of internment and deportation would also be applied to hundreds upon hundreds of communists (ranging from the simplest members to former members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the APL), deputies, ministers, military officers, and high-ranking officials, along with their families, whom Enver Hoxha and the communist regime in power would declare “traitors, revisionists, enemies of the people,” etc. From 1944 until 1949, decisions for internment and deportation were made by the “Commission for Deportations and Confiscation of Assets,” which operated under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the following years, this commission changed its name several times until 1954, when it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Prime Ministry and named the “Internment-Deportation Commission,” which functioned regularly until 1990.

Gjithashtu mund të lexoni

“His culture came naturally, also because he was part of a very sophisticated social circle, consisting of writers and artists, doctors, journalists, and politicians, where he…” / Reflections of the renowned director and publicist.

“The ensemble, led by saxophonist M. Murthi, violinist M. Tare, [with] S. Reka on accordion and piano, [and] saxophonist S. Selmani, were…”/ The unknown history of the “Dajti” orchestra during the communist regime.

From 1954 until 1974, the chairman of that commission was Beqir Balluku, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the APL, who held the position of Minister of People’s Defense and simultaneously that of Deputy Prime Minister in the government headed by Mehmet Shehu. The vice-chairman of the commission was the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, while the members included the Attorney General Dhori Panariti and the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Aranit Çela. (After the sentencing of Beqir Balluku in 1974, the role of Chairman of Internment-Deportations was taken by Deputy Prime Minister Manush Myftiu, and after the sentencing of Kadri Hazbiu, the role of vice-chairman was taken by Hekuran Isai).

During its entire period of existence and operation, this commission issued hundreds and thousands of decisions, deporting and interning thousands of persons who were forcibly removed from their places of residence and compelled to live in remote villages and areas of the country, from south to north. The villages containing internment camps were primarily designated by the government in the Myzeqe area of Lushnje and Fier (Savër, Çermë, Bedat, Grabian, Gradisht, Plug, Gjazë, Zhamë, Sulzotaj, Kryekuq, Karavasta, Shtyllas, etc.) – specifically in the central part of the country – to keep them as far as possible from the state borders to prevent escape from Albania.

Based on the relevant law under which the Internment-Deportation Commission operated, a person or a family was initially interned for five years, but these terms were repeated, being extended every five years. As a result, entire families – mainly from Northern Albania, such as the Gjonmarkaj of Mirdita; the Kaloshi, Sina, Alia, Dema, Dine, Mena, and Ndreu of Dibra; the Bajraktari and Kolgjini of Kukës; the Kola, Allamani, and Sulkurti of Mat; the Merlika, Kupa, and Bami of Kruja; the Mirakaj of Puka; the Radi and Gjekaj of Shkodra; the Pervizi of Kurbin; and the Mulleti and Petrela of Tirana; or those from the South of the country, such as the Dosti of Gjirokastra; the Frashëri and Çela of Përmet and Kolonja; the Staravecka of Skrapar, etc. – remained in internment locations until 1991, when the communist regime collapsed. In fact, some of them remained there for many years afterward, as they had nowhere else to go, having no corner left to shelter their heads!

Regarding the above, Memorie.al has secured a voluminous file from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (bearing the “Secret” stamp, but long since declassified), containing the decisions of the Internment-Deportation Commission, which we are publishing in full along with the relevant facsimiles. These include the names of the individuals and families who were deported and interned, as well as the specific charges against each of them.

Continued from the previous issue…

DECISION NO. 37 OF THE COMMISSION FOR INTERNMENT AND EXPULSION

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA TOP SECRET

COMMISSION ON INTERNMENT AND EXPULSION Tirana, 7.7.1967

DECISION No. 37

The Internment-Expulsion Commission, convened on 7.7.1967, in support of the decree of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, No. 1906, dated 2.8.1954, after studying the materials and proposals submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs,

DECIDED:

To internegate for social danger, the following persons:

Kudret Vesel Kurti, born in 1926, born in the Gurës katun of the Lushnje district, resident in the city of Vlorë, wealthy class, kulak, by profession teacher, today worker, married with 4 children, with secondary education.
Nimete Avdurraman Kurti, born in 1923, with primary education, by profession worker, his wife.
Avdurraman Kudret Kurti, born in 1960, high school student, son.

To be interned for 5 years, in the village of Gures, Lushnje district.

The internment began on 7.7.1967 and ended on 7.7.1972.

Tajfur Musa Shehu, born in 1913, born in the village of Karbunarë, Lushnje district, resident of the city of Vlorë, wealthy class, with higher education, with a worker’s profession, working in the military enterprise of the Fier district, married, has two children.
Nazmije Beqir Shehu, born in 1913, with primary education, housewife, wife.
Bejteshe Musa Shehu, born in 1911, single, housewife, sister.
Engjëllushe Tajfur Shehu, born in 1942, with 7 years of education, single, continues in Berat the course for sports coach, son.
Besnik Tajfur Shehu, born in 1948, single, with secondary education, unemployed, son.

To be interned for 5 years, in the village of Karbunarë, Lushnje district.

The internment began on 7.7.1967 and ended on 7.7.1972.

Enver Ali Mustafaraj, born in 1927, born in the village of Aranitas, Fier district, resident in the city of Vlorë, with primary education, by profession worker, today unemployed, wealthy class, married, has 5 children.
Ylldeze Sefedin Mustafaraj, born in 1930, uneducated, worker at N.T.P.L.A.P., wife.
Shkëlqim Enver Mustafaraj, born in 1950, born in the village of Drizare in the Fier district, with 3rd grade high school education, continues school, son.
Refije Enver Mustafaraj, born in 1910, born in the village of Drizare in the Fier district, uneducated, widow, housewife, mother.

To be interned in the village of Aranitas in the Fier district.

The internment began on 7.7.1967 and ended on 7.7.1972, for 5 years.

Muço Zenel Mustafaraj, born in 1919, born in Fier and resident in the city of Vlora, with 7 years of education, wealthy class, married, has 3 children, with profession crafts worker.
Qemal Zenel Mustafaraj, born in 1915, with primary education, crafts worker, his brother.
Mynevere Hamdi Mustafaraj, born in 1936, born in Vlora, with primary education, crafts worker, his wife.
Nevrije Xhevdet Mustafaraj, born in 1932, born in Vlora, with primary education, crafts worker, his sister-in-law.

To be interned in Roskovec, Fier district, for 5 years.