Ceno Bey Kryeziu

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Ceno Bey Kryeziu

Ceno Bey Kryeziu (1895-14.10.1927) was an Albanian political figure from Gjakova, Kosovo, member of the influential Kryeziu family. He will be remembered as the trusted man of Yugoslavian authorities inside Albanian political circles.

Biography

Ceno Kryeziu was the son of Riza Bey Kryeziu, a well known leader in the Gjakova region and activist of Albanian national movements of early 20th century. During First Balkan War, Ceno fought against Montenegrins, collaborated with Esat Toptani, and was vice prefect in Kruma.[1] In 1915 he was arrested by the Austrians and imprisoned. Later, he would serve as a mayor in Gjakova due to his excellent relationship with the Yugoslavian authorities, not in synchrony with the rest of Kosovo Albanians.[2][3] Things would change in 1922, when he married Nafije, sister of Ahmed Zogu, later to be proclaimed Zog I, King of Albania.[1][3] During the June Revolution, he assisted Ahmed Zogu and others in their escape to Yugoslavia, and established connections between Zog and the Yugoslavian side.[3] After the return of Zog in Albania, he was given the grade of a Colonel and put in charge of the Albanian army stationary in Shkodër, where he showed extreme diligence in persecuting and eliminating members of the former Democratic Opposition and people who contributed in the June Revolution.[2][4] During this time he was a regular inform of the Yugoslavian secret services, constantly informing them. He is mentioned in the newspaper "Ora e Shqypnisë", to have stated: You see, I kept my promise, I got rid of Gurakuqi, Curri, Zija Dibra, for the sake of our peace and yours.[2][5] In late 1925, he was elected Minister of Interior, resulting in him giving up the Yugoslavian citizenship. After his relations with the Yugoslavians would be come exposed due to the confrontation with the special emissary of Nikola Pašić in Tirana, Branko Lazarević, in 1925, Zog suspected that he might be involved in a plot against him and exiled him in France, and later would call him back and delegated as Ambassador to Belgrade.[2] There were rumors circulating about the Yugoslavs having elected him as the most trusted man to replace Zog in Albania, due to Zog's affiliation with Italy and distancing from his Yugoslav support.[1][5]

Assassination

On 26 July 1927, he was elected Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and left for Prague on October. On October 14, after coming out of a restaurant in Prague, he would get shot by an Albanian student residing there, Alkibijad Bebi (Albanian: Alqiviadh Bebi), born in Elbasan. Alqiviadh Bebi had been following Ceno in Beograd, where he had been stopped by Yugoslavian police but released in absence of proves. After shooting Kryeziu, Alqiviadh Bebi stayed calm and surrendered to the local police. The motive is still not very clear. According to Elsie,[1] and confirmed by official sources in Communist Albania,[3] he was clearly and Albanian secret agent working for Ahmet Zogu, which from his side made sure to show up in public that Ceno's death had caused him sadness and dispair. During his police interview, he testified: I killed Ceno Bey, because he is a serbophile, and trying to sell Albania to Yugoslavia. Bebi would be killed during his process inside the court room, by an Yugoslavian agent, Zijah Vushtria, an Albanian from Kosovo and allegedly former bodyguard of Kryeziu. He would get arrested and released shortly after, with the intervention of Yugoslavian authorities.[5]

Legacy

Ceno Bey was the father of Tati Kryeziu, for a short time the successor of the Royal crown, until the birth of Leka I in 1939.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Robert Elsie (December 24, 2012), A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History, I. B. Tauris, p. 260, ISBN 978-1780764313, retrieved 11.10.13 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ali Kelcyra (1959), Historical Reminiscences (1923-1936), Robert Elsie, retrieved 11.01.13, "Yugoslavia also gained concessions from the new regime, initially by changes in the border, at Saint Naum and Vermosh. In addition to this, from the start, it gained a substantial political presence when Ceno Bey Kryeziu, one of its faithfuls, was made Albanian ambassador..
    The Albanian emigrants encountered major impediments in Belgrade at this time from the influence of the Albanian Minister, Ceno Bey Kryeziu, who was a close friend of the Yugoslav authorities...
    because they held the view that Ceno Bey was morally responsible for the murders of Bajram Curri and Luigj Gurakuqi and because, while he was Minister of the Interior, he had exercised unparalleled brutality in persecuting the representatives of the Revolution of 1924 who had remained in the country. An agreement was only reached after the departure of Ceno Bey from Belgrade during the Djurasković crisis when diplomatic relations between Albania and Yugoslavia were temporarily broken off."     
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Enver Hoxha (1982), The Anglo-American Threat to Albania: Memoirs of the National Liberation War (1 ed.), Nentori, pp. 320–321, ASIN B0000D5S7C, retrieved 11.10.13 
  4. ↑ Myftar Memia (2011-09-13), Kush e vrau Bajram Currin ?! [Who killed Bajram Curri?!] (in Albanian), Zeri i Kosoves, retrieved 11.10.13 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ahmet Qeriqi (14.10.12), Ngjarje: '14 Tetor 1927 Vritet Ceno Bej Kryeziu' [Event, October 14, 1927, Ceno Bey Kryeziu gets killed] (in Albanian), Gazeta Kritika, retrieved 11.10.13 
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