The painful story of the communist dissident, who suffered 32 years in prison: “He refused to do self-criticism when he called Comrade Enver to the office and…” / The secret file of the State Security is revealed

Dashnor Kaloçi

The first part

Memorie.al publishes a voluminous archival file issued by the institution of the Authority for Information of Former State Security Files, where there are hundreds of documents with the logo “Top secret” belonging to the former political prisoner, Xhavit Qesja, originally from the city of Kruja, whose family during the period of occupation of the country, 1939-1944, was closely associated with the Anti-Fascist Movement, being one of its main bases and made available all the wealth it had, as Xhavit was one of the first members of the Albanian Communist Party for the Kruja district, leading the Kruja-Ishëm partisan battalion and the 22nd Assault Brigade. Xhavit Qese’s political career after the end of the War, where he was appointed and served in senior positions in the Albanian Army, the apparatus of the Central Committee of the ALP, and several districts of the country, from where he was sent to study in the Soviet Union, where stayed until 1957, when he was announced to return to Albania urgently, after openly expressing his views in favor of the political line followed by the main Kremlin leader, Nikita Khrushchev, condemning the Stalin cult. Enver Hoxha’s conversation with Xhavit Qesen in his office in the Central Committee, where he sharply criticized him for the wrong views he had shown during his studies in Moscow, urging him to reflect and make self-criticism, but Xhavit rejected the suggestion of the first secretary of the Albanian Labor Party, which caused him to no longer be allowed to go to the Soviet Union to complete his studies, but to be sent to work as deputy chairman of the Elbasan Executive Committee, from where a year later, he was expelled from the Party and exiled to Zvërnec Island, where the communist regime kept isolated some of the former senior party and state cadres whom he had condemned for their anti-party views. Xhavit Qesë’s long ordeal and percussion from 1957 to 1990, where he spent a full 32 years in prison and internment, being one of the few convicts in Burrell Prison who went on long hunger strikes in protest of the treatment and savage attitude of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha towards him. The complete form, investigative and judicial file in charge of Xhavit Qeses, which is published for the first time by Memorie.al, which contains the documents of the former State Security that reflect the prosecution and wiretapping against him, the reports of Security collaborators with pseudonyms their correspondence with the letters he sent to the highest party and state instances, as well as the top leaders of the ALP, until 1991 when he was released from prison!

1957 information report of the State Security Operational Worker, Captain Avni Mehmeti, with the data of the Security collaborator with the nickname “Pëllumbi”, regarding the surveillance and wiretapping that he has done to Xhavit Qeses

Elbasan on 27/6/1957

                                                    R E P O R T

The source informs that after the task you assigned me in the first meeting I went to Peqin together with Xhavit Qesen and we slept in a room together. In conversation with him, I told him about the difficulties in learning the Russian language and he replied that when he was in Moscow at the Party school, he had talked to the professor, that the method of learning the Russian language was not practical, that in it there are words that do not work and that are not even known in Albanian.

Xhaviti explained to the professor that the Italian language was learned quickly, as the method of learning was such that it made them learn.

He asked him about some schoolmates, like Nikolla P., Rrapi Gj., and others? For Nikolla he said that he did not learn, while Rrapi Gj., His nose grew (after being elected candidate of the K.Q. of P.P.Sh.) and he demanded great comforts.

In various cases that we had meetings in the committee for work reasons, Xhaviti does not take the issue seriously but mocks, so e.g. on 26/6/1957. We were in his office with a number of friends, but Xhavit made jokes in the form of mockery, for example, when one of the friends spoke, he said that you are right too, then when he had to speak a sarcastic word himself, he asked permission from others, if he could speak. Usually in meetings no problem is solved, as he underestimates it and takes it in mockery.

“PELLUMBI”

                   Assignment:

1. Keep in touch with him, from time to time and during conversations, try to find out what he thinks, about leaving school and assigning the task he has today.

 

              Operational Workshop

              Captain Avni Mehmeti

Information report of the State Security collaborator with the nickname “Consumption”, regarding the prosecution of wiretapping of Xhavit Qeses in the city of Elbasan, in June 1957

                                                               Report

Around the month of June 1957 from 10 am, Xhevit Qesja, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee K.P. The district, calls me for some work of the cooperative trade sector, in the conversation says to me: I am always at your feet, do me as you want, in your hands I am, everything depends on you. I answer and tell him, I am very sorry that the habit in this way on the phone sh. Xhevit.

Our consideration for your person is as the leader of the Government and we always ask for your help to solve our problems, so if you say so, I personally will not call you again and ask for your help. Prap sh. Xhevit start as the first, add the word as ordered by Comrade Vice President of the County Consumer Cooperatives Union.

From July 9, 1957, by chance I went to Belesh, there I met my friend Xhevi, who had gone to the problems of the Collection, I asked him there how he was doing with the collection, he told me that we are not very bad with the obligations, while I am not strong about the surpluses well and we are not going to do well, then he addressed me and told me, again you will take as capital my statement about the surpluses and will raise in power (in the Chairman of the Ex. Regional Committee) that the views of the Deputy Chairman The county is that the surpluses are not realized I answer that this is not very true and you comrade Xhevi, do not be afraid of these things. The same was said later another day to Lazar Pogaçe, who told me in conversation.

On 16 / VII / 1957 at 2.15, when I was leaving the office together with Lazar Pogaçe, we meet in the square “Adem Kosova” with friend Xhavit, accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Xhevdet Petrela and he tells us that in the Shkumbin Barracks , you have broken that Fesani that we have placed between the telephone poles. We did not understand which religion was this, which was broken and we asked him again, at that time with a hand grin, he grabbed a part of his pants, I answer what are panties, and he answered us: okay, like that are.

This was one of our slogans, which we had seen on the occasion of the opening of the III Congress of Consumer Cooperatives. Many times I have had conversations with Comrade Xhevi, but I have found that he is quite selfish about state problems, as a person who is not very competent in the hypocritical way.

Elbasan 18 / VII / 57                                                          “KONSUMI”

1959 document, where Xhavit Qesë’s registration sheet as a political exile is located, on Zvërnec Island

Xhavit Qesja, File 1820

                                                 REGISTRATION SHEET:

1. Surname, first name, fatherhood: Qesja Xhavit, Hajdar
2. Place of birth: Kruja
3. Date of birth: 1920
4. Residence: Vlora
5. Place of work: Interned
6. Specialty: N / Labor
7. Albanian nationality
8. Albanian nationality
9. Partnership: Excluded
10. Social Origin: Wealthy Merchants
11. Layer: Middle
12. Has it been previously recorded in the evidence: No.
13. If he has previously been registered in other parties: No.
14. Brief summary of his compromising materials: Elements with strong anti-Party views
15. The trend today: Anti-Party
16. Nickname definition: None

OPERATIVE WORKSHOP CHIEF OF SECTION I

Lieutenant Colonel Sallaku                                                   N / Colonel Raqi Zavalani

Tirana, on 25.II.1959

1981 document, with the control sheet of the Burrel Prison file, for the political convict Xhavit Qesja

VERY SECRET

Checklist on the file

Please check and let us know if the following person is listed in the operating records:

1. Surname: Bag
2. Name: Xhevit
3. Fatherhood: Hajdar Date of birth: 1920
4. Place of birth: Kruja District: Kruja
5. Residence: Durrës
6. Workplace Rep. 321 convicted
7. Profession: Under work
8. Nationality: Albanian Citizenship: Albanian

Operational Workshop                                            Branch President

Vehap Kuka                                                                    Bajram Neli

We would like to inform you that the person requested by you: “It appears that 2-A has been in active processing and his file has been archived and transferred to the Internal Affairs Branch, Durrës.

In his charge are available the above mentioned materials that are stored in the information file kept by P.ap. Vehap Kuka.

Chief of File

Ramiz Hoxha

In Burrel 23.11.1981

The document of 1987, with the biography of the political convict, Xhavit Qesja

Biography of Xhavit Hajdar Qesja

“Secret”

Durrës, on 3.10.1987

Xhavit Qesja, is the son of Hajdari and Sabrija, dated 1922, born in Kruja and living in exile in Shijak, separated from his wife, with higher education, convicted of hostile anti-party activities, with Albanian nationality and citizenship, comes from a rich civic stratum.

During Zogu’s anti-popular regime, his family engaged in trade, his father, Hajdari, had manufacturing shops in Kruja and Tirana.

During the National Liberation War, with the political attitude of his family he was good, he made available to the partisan war, the family property, Xhaviti himself was accepted as a member of the Communist Party of Albania in 1942 and was a communist of the Kruja-Ishëm battalion.

After the liberation of the country, Xhaviti worked in various positions in the Army, in the apparatus of the Central Committee of the ALP, as well as in different districts of the country. In the 1950s, Xhavit was sent to study in the Soviet Union, and in 1957, while studying there, he was called to the secretariat of the Central Committee and advised on the expression of anti-party views  In Elbasan.

In 1958, he was interned in the village of Zvërnec in Vlora, until 1967, when he was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison for his sharp hostile activity as an anti-party element.

In 1970, while in prison, the young man was convicted of hostile activity carried out while serving his sentence, which, with a combination of articles, is punishable by 17 years in prison.

Even while serving his sentence, again the enemy Xhavit Qesja, did not give up his hostile activity against the political line of the party and the popular power.

In January 1987, he was released from prison on a full-time basis and by decision of the Central Deportation Commission; he was interned for five years in the city of Shijak, where he is currently located.

Xhaviti has three brothers living in Durrës, they have a good political attitude, one of whom is a member of the PPSh.

Xhavit was married, with two children, separated from his wife, who is, living in Tirana and who have a good political attitude, his ex-wife, is a member of PPSh, Xhavit’s mother, Sabrija , is old and lives in Durrës, with one of her sons. Memorie.al

Chairman of the Branch of Internal Affairs,

                 Rafik Nanaj

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