Massacre of 1951 in Albania

The Massacre of 1951 in Albania was the killing without trial of 22 intellectuals in the Socialist People's Republic of Albania on 26 February 1951, as ordered by Enver Hoxha, accused of bombing the Soviet Union's embassy in Tirana.^[1] The victims were 21 males and one female. One day earlier, Jonuz Kaceli was killed while accused of the same crime. It was the first time the Agitation and Propaganda law was used.

They were executed at midnight, near the Beshiri bridge, 15 km from Tirana, and were buried in a common grave, bound together.^[2]

The bomb was actually thrown by Hysen Llulla and Qazim Laçi.^[3] The head of the police during that time, Sali Ormëni, was killed one week after the bombing.

Manol Konomi, then one the minister of justice, did not want to sign the death sentences without approval.

All the victims where posthumously awarded the order Honor of the State by president Bamir Topi.^[4]

Background

The massacre of the night of 26 February 1951 started with the arrests of the 22 people between 20 and 22 February 1951. The 22 arrested people were put in prison and then shot on 26 February. The pretext was the discovery of a small amount of dynamite in the Soviet Embassy in Tirana on 19 February, and the arrested persons were accused of having something to do with this.^[5]

Reaction of the Communist government

Immediately after the event, on 20 February 1951, there was a Political Bureau meeting held. Here was decided the measures that must be taken. The most prominent communists were at this meeting: Enver Hoxha, Tuk Jakova, Mehmet Shehu, Bedri Spahiu, Hysni Kapo, Gogo Nushi, Spiro Koleka, Beqir Balluku and Liri Belishova.^[6]

Arrests and execution

The arrests were made based on death lists prepared in advance by the Ministry of Interior. The charge, as prepared and signed by Military Prosecutor Siri Çarçani and dated 25 February 1951, was the same for all 22 victims and read:

These people have been put at the service of imperialist foreign espionage, they have become members of a terrorist organization. They have made propaganda about the violent collapse of the people's power and have distributed slogans for a new war from the American and British imperialists and their satellites.

—Siri Çarçani, Military Prosecutor of communist Albania

The same Çarçani admitted later that when he wrote the charge he was completely unaware of any investigation having ever been performed. In addition, the charge was never communicated to any of the victims. Furthermore a trial was never held.

The 22 victims were killed on 26 February 1951, six days after the first arrest was made. All of the victims were shot based on a government decree issued by the Ministry of the Interior on the same day of the killings. The Minister of Interior that issued the decree was Omer Nishani.

One of the victims, Jonuz Kaceli, was killed on 25 February 1951, one day before the others. He was killed by Mehmet Shehu. The reason was that Jonuz Kaceli had attacked him by punching Shehu in his face after a long interrogation by Shehu and Rasim Dedja who accused Kaceli as an enemy of state. Shehu was injured due the attack of Kaceli.^[7] After this happened, he was thrown out of a window in the pretense that he had committed suicide. But in fact he was dropped head-first from the second floor, and died.^[8] On 26 February 1951 the other victims were shot by an execution squad.

Legal process

On 5 March 1951 the execution of these people was approved by the military court of Communist Albania; that is eight days after the suspects were executed.^[9]

Aftermath

In 1991 all were declared innocent.^[10] All victims were found bound with barbed wire in a joint mass grave on the Erzen river edge.

Victims

See also

• List of massacres in Albania

External links

• Short documentary about the massacre English
• Special about Massacre of 1951 in Albania (Albanian)
• Special on TV Klan (Albanian)

Further reading

• Gazeta 55, p. 16-17 (Albanian)

References