By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part One
Memorie.al / Like all wars, wherever and whenever they have occurred, even the one now known as the “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War” in the years 1939-1944, has its dark side. Since that period and later, 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 “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War”! Such as the killing 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., the majority 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 “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 the killing of Qirinxhiu remains shrouded in mystery, for almost most of the names mentioned above, and for many, many others, there are accusations and testimonies with concrete names and facts, as well as archival documents discovered after the 1990s, that cast shadows of doubt on their killings, such as: “settling of scores,” “robbery,” “personal revenge,” “struggle for power,” and even “pink stories”, or other various banal reasons.
One of these killings, which has been discussed after the 1990s, is that of Sulo Tragjasi originally from Vlora, (“Martyr of the Fatherland”), who was killed by Kasem Trebeshina, a former member of the Fier district guerrilla unit and later a partisan with functions in the ranks of the National Liberation Army (Deputy Commissar of the XII Assault Brigade). After the end of the War, after serving 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 later 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 internally exiled for years, suffering in many distant villages, until he was arrested again in 1979 and sentenced to 8 years in prison for “agitation and propaganda against the people’s power.” The killing of Sulo Tragjasi was admitted by the well-known writer Kasem Trebeshina himself, and he even detailed it in some of his books published after the 1990s, giving his version of that killing, which is said to have affected him deeply, 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 several archival documents of the former State Security (extracted from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), which contain several testimonies of individuals from the Fier district, former members and veterans of the Anti-Fascist War, given to State Security investigators in the years 1982-1983, which speak not only of the killing committed by Kasem Trebeshina, but also of many other killings and attacks committed in the Fier district in the years 1942-1944, where, always according to the documents in question, the person who gave the orders turns out to have been Myzafer Trebeshina, the political leader of that district at the time, while after the end of the War, and until the beginning of the 1980s, he served 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, and his brother Myzafer Trebeshina was serving as the Chairman of the Democratic Front of the Fier district, constitute one of the three sole investigative processes that the communist regime of Enver Hoxha opened for events from the War period, after those of the killing of Qemal Stafa and the Hekal Counselors. Files which 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 killing of the “Martyr of the Fatherland,” Sulo Tragjasi, took place is after the event of Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu’s “suicide”, and the accusation against Trebeshina, or more accurately the opening of that file precisely at that time, casts a shadow of doubt that it was also done 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, Skënder and Bashkim.
But even this version still presents doubts, since Kasem Trebeshina’s arrest had occurred in 1980, when Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu was at the peak 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 “National Liberation Anti-Fascist War”), which are being published for the first time with the relevant facsimiles, by Memorie.al
DECLARATION OF TAJAR ASLLANI FROM THE VILLAGE HEKAL, FIER DISTRICT, AND FORMER MEMBER OF THE GUERRILLA UNIT OF THAT DISTRICT IN THE YEARS 1941-1944, GIVEN TO SECURITY OFFICER KOLI SALLAKU, REGARDING THE ATTACKS AND KILLINGS CARRIED OUT BY ORDER OF KASEM TREBESHINA
Declaration
I, the undersigned Tajar Asllani, son of Musai and Bukuri, born in 1920, born in Hekal, Fier district, and residing in the city of Fier, with 7 years of education, pensioner, married with children, organized (member of the) PLA, of poor peasant origin, Albanian nationality and citizenship, declare as follows:
I joined the National Liberation Movement at the end of November 1942, and on February 4, 1943, I was part of the “Old Band” of Mallakastra and later in the “Ismail Klosi Battalion.” In September 1943, with the Party’s guidance, I came to the Fier guerrilla unit. This unit included comrades Shefit Hekali, who was the unit leader, Xoxi Andoni, Naun Kaçaku, Polikron Kotini, Kasem Trebeshina, Luto Sadiku, Jorgo Greku, I, and later Sulo Dukati (Xhelili) also came.
For Party matters, we were directed from Fier and specifically by comrade Myzafer Trebeshina. I remember that Sulo Xhelili came to our unit at the end of 1943, whom Bilbil Klosi introduced to me; saying that; he is a brave and courageous comrade, so keep him close for the actions you will carry out. When Sulo came to our unit, he told Shefit Hekali that I would stay with Tajar, and that every action, he would carry out with him.
Before we went to the village of Sheqishtë, one night earlier Sulo Xhelili told me that; tomorrow evening, the two of us will go to Qemal Vrioni’s house, to take his money, as he arranged with his maid to leave the gate open for us. I, Tajar, told Sulo that; this action does not seem right to me, as it is contrary to the guidance of our Party, only Ballists do these things. This conversation with Sulo took place at the house of Petraq Ndreu, whose brother was abroad, in England.
Even though I opposed Sulo’s opinion, he still insisted on taking Qemal Vrioni’s money, saying that; he is an enemy. After this conversation, the next day Sulo and I went to the village of Sheqishtë, where we found Myzafer Trebeshina, Shefit Hekali, and several other comrades of our unit. Before receiving the tasks from the unit, I talked to Shefit Hekali and informed him about the thoughts Sulo Xhelili had told me, regarding the robbery of money at Qemal Vrioni’s house, for which the unit leader also informed Myzafer, as the person in charge of Party affairs. Regarding this action that Sulo wanted to carry out, Myzaferi gave the opinion that Sulo Xhelili, with two or three other comrades, should be transferred to Mallakastra.
The unit leader gathered the unit and communicated the decision made for the division of comrades into tasks. At this moment, Sulo opposed the unit leader’s order to go to Mallakastra and insisted on coming to Fier. Here Myzaferi intervened and said to him; why don’t you go to Mallakastra, but want to go to Fier? Sulo replied that; I won’t go to Mallakastra. After this debate, Shefit Hekali gathered the communists of the unit, which were himself, I Tajar, and Polikron Kotini.
In the discussions we had, I remember it was decided that Sulo should be disarmed and arrested for opposing the unit’s order to go to Mallakastra. But, seeing that disarming Sulo was difficult, it was concluded that Sulo should stay in Fier, and I, Tajar, with two other comrades, whom I cannot recall now, but I think one of them was Xox Andoni, should go to Mallakastra, and this is what happened.
I left before the comrades, while they stayed there until it got dark. After two or three days I returned from Mallakastra and came back to the comrades of the unit, and Shefiti told me that Sulo was killed accidentally. After this, I don’t know that the problem of Sulo Xhelili’s killing was discussed any further.
When Bilbil Klosi was Minister of Justice, he came to the Executive Committee of the Fier district, and together with Myzafer Trebeshina, who was the Chairman of the Executive Committee; they called me, Tajar, and asked me what activity Sulo Xhelili had during the war, for the time he was with me in the Fier city guerrilla unit.
I explained the statements above, adding that Sulo was brave and courageous, he carried out several actions, such as capturing the criminal Faslli Toska alive, along with Gjon Banushi, etc., so I gave them the opinion they requested for Sulo’s proclamation as a martyr, that he should be designated a martyr.
Besides what I explained above, I do not know other circumstances or facts about the killing of Sulo Xhelili, so seeing that my statements are written correctly, I sign them.
Fier, 7.II.1983
DECLARANT
Tajar Asllani
THE SECRET DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE NOTE OF STATE SECURITY OFFICERS GJERGJI STEFO AND KOLI SOLLAKU, WITH THE TESTIMONY OF THOMA BUFI FROM THE CITY OF FIER, REGARDING THE KILLINGS COMMITTED DURING THE WAR PERIOD BY THE GUERRILLA UNIT AND KASEM TREBESHINA
Secret
Single Copy
Fier, 15.2.1983
OPERATIVE NOTE
Taking a cue from a conversation we had with comrade Thoma Bufi in Fier, on 10.10.1982, about some actions of Myzafer Trebeshina during the War, for which we made the operative note together with comrade Enver Zeneli, on 23.10.1982, in the city of Fier, I met and talked with the citizen Vasil Bare, who among other things, told me the following:
During the National Liberation War, I Vasil, Kasem Trebeshina (now in prison), Naun Kaçaku and Sherif Fetiu from Hekal (both killed by reactionaries during the War) and Gramoz Zaloshnja residing in Fier, constituted a guerrilla unit of the movement in Fier, and had connections and were directed directly by Myzafer Trebeshina, who at that time was known by us as the leader for Party affairs in Fier.
Our unit was mainly engaged in carrying out attacks against reactionary people who fought against the National Liberation War. Almost all the attacks and killings of these people, we carried them out with the direct order of Myzafer Trebeshina, who told us that; by decision of the Party, you will kill this or that person, and in this way, we have killed about 12 people in the city and district of Fier. Among those we killed or were ordered by Myzafer Trebeshina to kill, there were also individuals who were connected to the Party and were part of the cell with Myzafer Trebeshina.
For example, – Vasil continues – Kasem Trebeshina, while with me in the field of the village of Sheqishtë, killed Sulo Tragjasi, an active person connected to the movement, for whom Myzafer Trebeshina himself had ordered us. We had noted that Sulo Tragjasi argued and did not get along well with Myzafer Trebeshina, and from this, we understood that Myzaferi ordered us to kill Sulo only for this reason.
I Vasil and other comrades like me, at that time had understood that Myzafer Trebeshina did not want anyone above him, and this was explained by the swagger and support he had from bigger leaders of the movement up from Mallakastra, as we called it at that time.
After the killing of Sulo Tragjasi, I was present when comrade Gjon Banushi and Josif Pogaçe, both comrades with responsibilities in the Party, spoke harshly to Myzafer Trebeshina about Sulo’s killing, saying; what are you doing, Sulo was our man (of the Movement), and you made a mistake by killing him. Later I learned that Sulo Tragjasi, although he was killed by us by order of the Party (Myzafer Trebeshina), was designated a martyr. His family now lives in Tirana.
Continuing the conversation, Vasil Bare said: “I Vasil, on another occasion, being alone with Myzafer Trebeshina, he tasked me with the duty of killing the partisan and communist Rakip Kryeziu, who was part of a cell with Myzafer and other comrades. This order from Myzaferi made a big impression on me, and I remember saying: ‘How can I kill Rakip, he is a brave and loyal partisan and communist, just like you, why should we kill him?!’
But Myzaferi told me: ‘You don’t know everything, Rakip is dangerous, a man with two faces, for him the Party above has decided that he should be killed, and if you don’t kill him, someone else will!’ I Vasil was convinced and trusted Myzaferi’s words, accepted and undertook the surprise killing of Rakip. I went to the bases where he stayed and found Rakip Kryeziu, who seemed upset, but did not tell me the reason why. I proposed and persuaded Rakip to go together to Marinzë near Roskovec, for a job I had been assigned, without telling him what, and he came with me.
When we arrived in the field near Marinzë, where I had the order from Myzaferi to kill him, because I was not very convinced that Rakip should be killed, since not only did he seem like a brave and loyal partisan to me, but also a very kind and courteous person with his comrades and the people, I decided not to kill him. I left him there and parted, telling him that I needed him to accompany me only this far, now I will go to a job I have been assigned, and I left.
When I returned to Fier, – Vasil continues – I met Myzaferi and told him that I did not have the heart to kill Rakip. I saw that Myzaferi was not pleased, but he did not say either good or bad to me. I Vasil had heard from other comrades, and I had also noted it myself, that Myzafer Trebeshina also did not like Rakip and they did not get along well, but for what reason, I don’t recall, only that Rakip had more sympathy and affection from the comrades of the movement and the people, compared to Myzafer Trebeshina, who was known as the son of a çifligar (landowner) and together with Ramadan Sanxhaktari, had their estates in Frashër and Sheqishtë of Fier, while Rakip was from a broken social stratum, a proletarian.
After no more than two months had passed, I learned that Rakip Kryeziu and Andon Profka were killed by Ballists in a base in Grecalli, where the partisan Llazi Suku (Babi), from the city of Fier, had also been with them, but he did not suffer anything and is safe and sound today. I remember that at that time it was rumored that Rakip Kryeziu, Andon Profka, and Llazi Suku, learned they were surrounded by Balli and German forces in a teacher’s house in Grecalli, and had decided to attack and break the encirclement. Llazi Suku had guided Rakip and Andon to exit the base in a specific direction, which in fact was occupied by the Ballists and Germans, and they acted accordingly.
Andon Profka was killed as soon as he left the base, while Rakip managed to break the encirclement, wounded, and in a village less than an hour away, he was killed by the Ballists, while Llazi Suku himself left the base in another direction, which was not blocked, and thus escaped being killed. He added that Llazi Suku did not have an automatic weapon, nor did he shoot against the Balli forces that had surrounded them, while Rakip and Andon had revolvers.
This action of Llazi Suku – said Vasil Bare, left a great doubt in us at that time, knowing that Llazi had a very close friendship and relationship with Myzafer Trebeshina, which he maintains even today, it was thought and rumored that Llazi Suku set a trap for Rakip and Andon on the orders of Myzafer Trebeshina. I was even present when after this event, a member of our unit, Shefit Fetiu from Hekal, who was later killed in Rrogozhinë by reactionaries, threatened Llazi Suku, saying: “You killed Rakip and Andon.”
Gramoz Zaloshnja, residing in Fier, who was in our unit, knows the event of Rakip Kryeziu and Andon Profka very well, but whether he tells it or not, I don’t know, as he is known as an indifferent person, and does not much like to cause trouble for himself,” – concluded Vasil Bare.
Mentioning the names of some enemies who had taken part in their killing, Vasil Bare said: “Our unit, I remember, on its own initiative and without order, in the village of Sheqishtë, also killed a person from the tribe of Fiqret and Ramadan Sanxhaktari, who stayed on their estate in Frashër-Sheqishtë and exploited the poor peasants, and who spied on the partisans and their bases.
After we killed him, we also cut off an ear and placed a written note on his body, with these words: ‘Those who act like this suffer this way!’ This person was also related to Myzafer Trebeshina, but I do not recall Myzaferi mentioning anything about his killing to me, if he spoke to someone else, I don’t know, but I am convinced that Myzaferi must have felt bad about him, and perhaps the killing of Rakip Kryeziu and Sulo Tragjasi, he may have organized and incited for revenge.”
For the verification and deepening of the issues raised by comrade Vasil Bare, I propose the following measures:
- To contact comrades Gjon Banushi and Josif Pogaçe, residing in Tirana, and discuss the above issues, as according to Vasil Bare, they know details.
- To verify the family of the martyr Sulo Tragjasi here in Tirana, and discuss with one of the members of his family what they know about the circumstances and reasons for Sulo’s killing.
- To contact the pensioner Gramoz Zaloshnja in the city of Fier and discuss with him the circumstances and reason for the killing of Rakip Kryeziu and Andon Profka.
- To also contact and talk with the sister of the martyr Rakip Kryeziu in Fier, to find out if Rakip told her anything about arguments and disagreements with specific individuals during the war, and with whom specifically? / Memorie.al
Dated 28.10.1982
OPERATIVE WORKER OPERATIVE WORKER
Gjegji Stefo Koli Sollaku
To be continued in the next issue
