Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/publishes some archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive (fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP), which belong to 1948, where there is a secret report-information dated December 21 of that year , where the Albanian embassy in Belgrade, through its diplomat, Peço Kagjini, through a telegram, announces the murder of the patriot Xheladin Hana and in the report that he sends to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana, personally, to Manush Mufti, among others it is said: “Nana and sister, both members of the party are very revolted and dedicate the murder to Xhavit Nimani, who fought Xheladini in time…”.
The breakdown of relations between official Tirana and the Yugoslavia of Marshal Tito at the end of 1948, after the famous letter of INFORMBYROSE, brought many concerns and resonated significantly with the Albanians of Kosovo and other Albanian areas under the jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, creating them quite a lot of problems. Among other things, this very critical situation in which the Albanians living on the other side of the border happened, is made known by a large number of documents found in the archives of the Albanian state, such as this document that is published for for the first time from Memorie.al.
The great Serb repression was felt mostly by a large part of the Albanian patriots and those who held party and administrative political positions, mainly in Kosovo and Metohija, or KOSMET as it was said at that time. Although in this document only from one page where it is just a telegram, in its four or five paragraphs a clear summary is made on the situation created after the breakdown of official Tirana’s relations with Belgrade and the policy pursued by Marshal Josif Broz Tito towards Albanians… Thus, in this report compiled by Peço Kagjini, a functionary of the Albanian embassy in Belgrade, sent to Manush Mufti, as the main point and which is paid more attention, is the murder of Xheladin Hana in the prison of Prishtina, for which the Albanian diplomat directly accuses UDB.
This was due to the fact that Xheladin Hana, originally from Gjakova (a large tribe also known from their famous tower of Hadum), at that time had a great name as a patriot and intellectual at the same time (it is said that he spoke several foreign languages , such as: Italian, French, Turkish, Serbian and Persian), because in addition to being a participant in the famous meeting of the Bujan Conference and co-author of the document issued after it, after 1945, he was also the editor-in-chief of the only Albanian newspaper in Kosovo “Rebirth”.
Although he had supported the communist cause, Xheladin Hana was better known as a nationalist and a pure Albanian, which led to his arrest and murder inside the Pristina prison without bringing him to trial at all?! The murder of Hana, for which, according to the document in question, his family (mother and sister) have put their finger on Xhavit Nimani, also marked the prologue of a series of other political assassinations that took place at that time in Kosovo and other Albanian areas under Yugoslavia, as Xheladini with his convictions, writings and actions, contradicted the official policy pursued by Belgrade.
While Xhavit Nimani, (brother of Elami Nimani, member of the founding meeting of the SNP on November 8, 1941), educated in the Normal of Elbasan, is initially known as a member of the Communist Youth Group (led by Anastas Lula and Sadik Premtja), and then one of the main political figures of Kosovo, along with Fadil Hoxha and Mahmut Bakalli, which led him in 1974 to be appointed to the position of Chairman of the Presidency of the newly created Autonomous Province of Kosovo, a function which held it until 1981 when demonstrations began in Kosovo.
It is not known exactly whether it is just a coincidence of the case or intentional, that although the murder of Xheladin Hana in Prishtina prison took place on December 14, the digital telegram of the Albanian Embassy in Belgrade was made on December 21, the day of the birth of Stalin, because of whom Enver broke up with Tito ?! After the description of the murder of Xheladin Hana, which according to the document in question caused great despair in Prishtina where high school students were prevented from attending his funeral, in the report of Peço Kagjini addressed to Manush Myftiu, it is also about some Albanians of other political immigrants who were in Yugoslavia at the time, names and well-known personalities, such as son of Cen Elez, or son of Mark Gjon Markaj, captain of Mirdita, etc. The document in question is published in full and without any abbreviations by Memorie.al.
Report-information of the Albanian Embassy in Belgrade, for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana
SECRET CODE RADIOGRAPHY
BELGRADE 21.XII.1948
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Tirana
MANUSH MYFTIUT
report
On the 14th of this month, UDB killed comrade Xheladin Hana in Prishtina. The murder was committed under the following conditions:
A few days ago, Xheladini was arrested and was in prison in Prishtina. He was killed with a revolver in the head on the left side. It is clear that he was killed by the UDB, where did Xheladini find the revolver in prison, which was killed on the left side of the head?!
And in Kosmet with this act the persecutions against the Albanian comrades begin. Eighth graders wanted to attend the funeral but were not allowed to. Burial was done only by the family circle. The murder has greatly depressed the people of Pristina.
Nana and the sisters of both party members are very revolted and dedicate the assassination to Xhavit Nimani, who fought Xheladini in time.
The member of the Albanian Party in Kosmet, Omer Çekrezi, has been arrested. Several village council members have been arrested as party members for obstructing the regime.
Many Montenegrins and Serbs have been arrested, including the director of the Jedinstovo newspaper, Milutin Djuric, and the secretary of the Kosmet fighters’ union, Ljubo.
In Prishtina are the following fugitives from Albania: Duro Dejahoçini, brother from Delvina, Chief of Shkodra Police, son of Mark Gjon Marku from Shkodra named Prenk and his brother, a student from Shkodra, the last three, expelled student. There are also Lutfi Spahiu, federal, Fehmi Spahiu, lieutenant and son of Cen Elez. They put them in small jobs, the eldest being the son of Cen Elez, a newspaper editor.
Riza Drini, Kasem Domi and Muhedin Hadri also stay well in Prishtina. We had called the Albanian teachers to appear in the Legation, but the Kosmet regional council ordered that they not be allowed to do so, said the district education clerk, Gjakovea Veta Petrovic, an Albanian teacher.
I am of the opinion that we should protest at the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry.
Mehmet Gjevori, Stathi Kostani and Nesip Habi are putting pressure on our teachers not to return to Albania. Another obstacle is that Albanian teachers are either engaged or married to Yugoslavs. Teacher Tahsim Kaloshi, who returned to Albania after the resolution, returned illegally and says that they did not give me a job and told me that you belong to Tito, so I returned.
It is said that Zeqirja Rexha was arrested, but it is not certain.
23.XII.1948 PEÇO KAGJINI
Memorie.al
