Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of Sulo Klosi, the Mining engineer who after graduating in Strasbourg, in 1937 returned to Albania and during the period of the Zog Monarchy worked in the Mining Directorate at the Ministry of Economy. Testimonies of his daughter, Mrs. Edit Klosi regarding the acquaintance of his father with Enver Hoxha during the period of studies in France and the investigative and judicial file of Sulo Klosi where he himself “confessed” all his activity since the period of studies in France, acquaintances with foreign professors at the II World Congress of France where some foreign professors recommended him to meet with the Polish professor, Stanislav Zuber, work in the Italian Hydrocarbon Society (AIPA), the period of occupation of the country where he met the high exponents of the nationalist organization, Balli Kombëtar, Mit’hat Frashëri and Hasan Dosti, and his activity with the “Group of Deputies”, who among others had planned an assassination attempt on Colonel-General Enver Hoxha, which he had taken over Ymer Keçi through Myslym Peza’s companion, Hamdi Kacolla, while Enver was going to Peza…
“After graduating in France, our father Sulo Klosi, returned to Albania and devoted himself only to his profession, without ever interfering in politics. But in March 1946, while serving as chief engineer of the Rubik Copper Plant, he was arrested along with a large group of intellectuals, known as the “Group of Deputies.” After holding him for several months in the interrogator, where he was tortured in the most barbaric manner, he was sentenced to death along with 15 other defendants of that group. “The court decision was implemented immediately and our father was executed by hanging him on a rope in the middle of the town of Rubik, where he was left for several days on a tripod to terrorize the inhabitants of that area.”
This is proved by, among others, Mrs. Edit Klosi, for the event that led to the execution of her father, the engineer Sulo Klosi, (son of the great patriot from Mallakastra, Ismail Klosi), who graduated in Mining Engineering in Strasbourg, France, who was accused of collaborating with the Anglo-American agencies”, through the connections made by the Polish engineer Zyber and the director of Tirana Technical, Harry Fultz. Regarding these accusations against Sulo Klosi, as well as many others about his connections with the former exponents of the National Front, speaks his court file found some time ago in the archive of the Ministry of Order. In that file, along with the depositions that are signed by him, there is a statement given before the assistant to the General Prosecutor of the Republic, Josif Pashkos, where Sulo Klosi confirms everything that was written there by the investigators of the Security Directorate?!
What is the truth of that dossier, did Sulo Klosi really have any connection with foreign agencies, or was it just a staging of the State Security to hit that group of Western graduates, who aspired for a real democracy, who Enver Hoxha saw them as the main obstacle in consolidating his power?
Sulo Klosi’s daughter, Mrs. testifies about this and others. Edit Klosi and together with her stories Memorie.al in this article is also publishing some parts of Sulo Klosi’s depositions, which are found in his court file.
Daughter’s testimony: “Enver said he had no hand in the murder of our father”
Regarding the period of Sulo Klosi’s studies in France, return to Albania, employment, short professional career, arrest and death sentence, his daughter Edit Klosi testifies: “During the period of studies in France, among many Albanians who attended studies there, the father also met Enver Hoxha, while he was in Montpellier. In France, the father did not engage in any political activity or activity, but devoted himself solely to studies, as he was very passionate about the branch he had chosen. During the war, our uncle, Qemali, was fully engaged with the Movement, achieving some high positions, up to battalion commissar with the rank of major, while our father, Sulua, did not interfere in the war at all, but continued to work with the Italians. Only at the end of 1944, the father engaged with a group of Shkodra intellectuals graduated in the West, who aspired to democracy, to a system with a social democratic tendency. After the end of the war, our uncle, Qemali, performed the functions of the commander of the Vlora Region, the president of the War Crimes Court and the director of Transport in the Ministry of Communications, our father started working in the Directorate of Geology, at the Ministry of Industry. Mining in Tirana. In that job he served him until the beginning of 1946, when he was appointed chief engineer of the Rubik Copper Plant. But as he and Italian specialists set to work reopening the plant, in March 1947 he was arrested along with a large group of intellectuals, known as the “Group of Deputies”. During the several months that my father was held in custody, he was inhumanly tortured to the point that when he appeared in court in early September 1947, he was not known at all. During the court hearings that took place in the “Kosova” cinema, and lasted until mid-November, he was accused of having had an affair with the Polish professor Zyber (who had died in the cells of the Tirana Investigation), with whom he had connected one of his professors at the University of Strasbourg. He was also accused that since 1941 he had had connections with exponents of the National Front, such as Mit’hat Frashëri, Hasan Dosti, Abaz Ermenji, Nuredin bej Vlora, etc., with whom he had been connected by his close friend, an engineer. Andrea Xega, as well as after the end of the War, had cooperated with the Anglo-American missions to overthrow the government of Enver Hoxha. The verdict was handed down on November 15, 1947, and 15 defendants in that group were sentenced to be shot, while the others were sentenced to severe imprisonment. The court decided that Riza Alizoti should be hanged in Kuçova, while Sulo Klosi should be hanged in the middle of Rubik, where he had worked as a chief engineer. The decision was implemented immediately and my father was left hanging for several days in the middle of the town of Rubik, terrorizing all the inhabitants of that area. Regarding the sentence, we learned that Enver Hoxha had stated that he had no hand in that work, but how do you know how the truth stands. After the sentencing of my father, my uncles, Qemali, were fired from all positions, but after the sentencing of Koci Xoxa, they rehabilitated him again, appointing him to high state positions, such as: Deputy Minister of Communications and Director of the Fleet Maritime and Port in Durrës. During those years that he was in those duties, my uncle took care of me and my brother, Ismail, depriving us of the right to study for high schools and being interested in being employed according to the respective branches where we graduated”.
Sulo Klosi’s depositions in the Investigator
Minutes
Today, on the twenty-fourth of June, one thousand nine hundred and forty-six, in the office of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of the Tirana region, in front of me, Captain II Dhosi Progri serving with the State Security Directorate of Tirana, the arrested Ing. Sulo Ismail Klosi, son of Ismaili (deceased) and Zakie (alive), born in Klos of Mallakastra in 1916 and resident in Rubik, married to Muhaseri Qadhimi from Gjinokastra, with two children a daughter and a minor son, education senior, profession Mine geologist, married during the Zog regime and sentenced to 101 (One hundred and one), has served only three months in prison, and after being asked I declare the following:
After finishing primary school, which I finished in the city of Fier in 1925 and from there I continued high school in the State Gymnasium, Shkodra, which I finished in 1931-32. After graduating from high school, I was appointed a teacher in Lushnja and Ballsh, this was in 1932. In the same year in November I went to France in the city of Strasbourg, to study science. Higher studies d.m.th. I graduated from the university in 1937 where in the same year I returned to Albania. After my return to Albania, I asked for a job from the Zog government where I was hired after a year of coming from abroad. For hiring as Ing. Geologist at the water department were mediated by my two friends Dalip Zavalani (brother of Tajar Zavalani) and Qemal Butka, who talked to the then Minister of Economy Rrok Gera from Shkodra, I entered this job in October of the year 1938 where I stayed until October 1939 and from this time I was transferred to the director of mines at the Ministry of Economy, remaining in the subordination of this directorate until the liberation of Albania from occupation.
In 1937, the Second World Congress was held in Paris, which was attended by the director of the school where I was teaching, whose name is Henri Weis French, Prof. Hans yes and this one from France. At the end of the congress when the above mentioned returned to school and said that in the Congress there was an Albanian delegation sent by the A.I.P.A. Italy, which had oil concessions in Albania. They also mentioned the names that were in the Congress, which I remember being Prof. Zuber Stanislav, Jakobin Italian. The director of the school told me that he had talked to Prof. Zuber for me (Sulon) where he was told that we have an Albanian boy in school and he is very good and this year he finishes school, so you have to hire him and Zuber had promised by taking note of my name and had left and an appointment point for me that when I return from France to meet in Rome leaving him the address, which the director sent me (Sulos) and told me you should meet. Address of Prof. Zuber seems to me to have been the Boston Hotel in Rome. When I returned from France in July and when I arrived in Rome I stayed 4-5 days where I asked Prof. Zuber as after the address, but I did not find it, and here in the hotel they gave me the address of the house where Zuber lived. I went there and, in the room, I found Ing’s brother. Zubrit, who told me that I am my brother and he gave me the phone number, which (Zuber) I searched for and found where we left a meeting point on Venoto Street and to get to know each other we showed each other’s clothes, and after this meeting on the phone I met at the appointed place. In the meeting I had, we talked to Zuber, who talked to me about how he had talked to the school principal at the convention.
This one promises me that you have the vacancy d.m.th. that I (Sulua) be appointed clerk of the Italian society A.I.P.A. During the time that I (Sulua) practiced my profession in the time of Zog I knew from foreign people who were civil servants for the exploitation of mines in our country and who are: Caleta Girone Italian, acting advisor to the directorate Tirana mining, recommended by Ing. Andrea Xega, director of the French company Dyfurë introduced by Doctor Kallugjeri, I do not remember the name but I know that it is from Fier; Ing. Italian Tarascon, Dual Geologist and others I do not remember. After this meeting I (Suloja) was constantly in touch with Hasan Dosti and Mit-hat Frashëri until the end of 1942. As far as my group of friends I mentioned above I kept in touch until March or April when I fled to Shkodra where I had connections.
The liberation of Albania found me in Shkodra and in December 1944 I came to Tirana on duty. Here he comes in contact again with the old members of Balli and my friends like: Abdyl Kokoshi, Uan Filipi, Hilmi Hysi etc. and we start again political talks and comments on the new situation created in Albania after the liberation. As an old member of Balli we were sure that the situation would change without a doubt that the Anglo-Americans would not tolerate such a situation in Albania and for this it was necessary that we also had to restart our activity for overthrow of the Government. My activity against the Government has been re-started since February 1945, the date on which we started the re-organization of the National Front. The Balli Kombëtar organization reorganized after the liberation of Albania under the direct instigation of war criminals in Italy, Mit’hat Frashëri, Ali Këlcyera and others aided and abetted by Anglo-American missions and in close contact with fugitive criminals had in order to gather all the old elements of Balli and in cooperation with all the enemies of the People’s Power to achieve the forcible overthrow of the People’s Power. I am a member of the Central Committee of the National Front reorganized after the Liberation since February 1945.
At the end of February-March 1945 Abdyl Kokoshi invites me to attend a meeting at the house of Van Filip which is on Dibra Street on the right-hand side. In this meeting we participated: I (Sulua), Demir Kallarati, Uan Filipi; Abdyl Kokoshi, Beh-xhet Shehu, Hilmi Hysi, Isuf Hysenbegasi, Syrja Selfo, Hivzi Kokalari and Fatos Kokoshi. The meeting was opened by Van Filipi and Abdyl Kokoshi who told us that these days they had received a letter from Mit’hat Frashëri through the Engles mission. Mit’hat’s letter stated that the Balli Central Committee stood by the Anglo-Americans in Italy and continued its activities. The Anglo-Americans had promised this Committee that they would soon land in Albania, and for this Mit’hat Frashëri asked us to quickly begin the reorganization of the Ball throughout Albania in order to present ourselves as an organized force and to take power at once. The letter stated that in case of organization, the Anglo-Americans would give us all the moral and material aid and we would have their support.
The reorganization of the National Front began in February 1945. My (Sulos) participation in the National Front reorganized after the liberation and as a member of the central committee began at the beginning of the reorganization. The meeting of the central committee was provoked by Uani, while I (Suloja) went with Abdyl Kokoshi, we held the meeting at Uani’s house, on Dibra Street on the right side in March. The following persons participated: I (Suloja), Abdyl Kokoshi, Uan Filipi, Fatosh Kokoshi, Bexhet Shehu, Hilmi Hysi, Agronomi Beli from Korça, Isuf Hysen Begasi, Syrja Selfo, the meeting was opened by Uani and Abdyli, who spoke about the organization of the forehead and on the letter received from Italy sent by the central committee of the National Front fled to Italy and signed by Mit-hat Frashëri. In the letter Mit’hati told us that the Balli central committee stood next to the Anglo-Americans in Italy and that the Anglo-Americans had promised them that they would soon land in Albania, so we should start as soon as possible for the Balli reorganization. National in Albania in different provinces and to start the activity so that when the landing takes place we will be an organized force and we will be able to take power.
Court file: “How would the assassination of General Enver Hoxha be carried out”
In the court file of the “Group of Deputies”, which also includes that of Sulo Klosi, in addition to the many depositions of the defendants of that group, there is also a deposition that speaks of an assassination attempt on Enver Hoxha. Among other things, it says: “Before the Shkodra uprising took place, the Committee decided that the fugitives should unite among themselves and jump into action. So, under our guidance the gangs began to carry out actions and carry out assassinations. These instructions were given to us by the fugitives under the direction of the Anglo-Americans. After the meeting, I went to Durrës and reported to the comrades the opinions of the Committee and together with Ramazan Tabaku, we were assigned to meet with the fugitives from Kruja and Shijak. So Ramazan Tabaku took 5,000 francs and went to Kruja where he met Ibrahim Kupi, while I took 20,000 francs and went to Shijak where I met the fugitives. In April 1946 I met Hamdi Kacolla and Ymer Keçi, at Ymer’s house. Ymeri told Hamdi Kacolla to leave General Myslym Peza, where he was on duty, and go to Peza. Ymeri’s intention was to send Hamdina to Peza for work and to carry out assassinations against General-Colonel Enver Hoxha and Lieutenant General Koci Xoxes, in cooperation with the people he would bring from Dibra Faik Shehu. When Cen Elez’s sons surrendered, it did not go well with us or the Anglo-Americans, who told us to carry out uprisings and assassinations. Thus, according to their instructions, the Shkodra uprising was prepared and carried out, of which we were also aware. On the Shkodra uprising, he told Ramazan Jella that it was decided in the Central Committee of Tirana, therefore the fugitives from Shijak, should be prepared and ready to take action on this occasion “. / Memorie.al
