Massacre of 1951 in Albania
Encyclopedia
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. The victims were 21 males and one female. One day earlier, another person, Jonuz Kaceli
had been 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 bridge Beshiri, 15 km from Tirana
, linked hand in hand with a chain and they were buried in a common grave.
The bomb was thrown in fact by Hysen Llulla and Qazim Laçi. 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 didn't want to sign the killing without aprovoal the 22 people.
All the victims where posthumously awarded the order Honor of the State by president Bamir Topi
.
of the night of 26 February 1951 started with the arrests of the 22 people during the four-day period 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 February 19, at 5:45 pm, and the arrested persons were accused of having something to do with this.
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. Here, reported Deputy Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Mehmet Shehu, who said:
and the Albanian Ministry of the Interior. The arrests were directly ordered by the Political Bureau
of the Party of Labour of 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. 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.
On 26 February 1951 the other victims were shot by an execution squad.
edge.
Ali Qoraliu was born in 1890 in Tirana
. He studied in Selanik and was part of the anti-royalist demonstrations in Fier
in the 1930s. In 1945 he was not allowed to work because he was an anti-communist. In 1951 he was shot dead by the communists. The accusation was bombing the Soviet Union
's embassy in Tirana, Albania.
He was born in the city of Prizren
. Later he became the dean of the Polytechnical High School of Tirana. In 1951 he was killed under the charge of having bombed the Soviet Union
's embassy in Albania.
businessman and dissident against the communist regime in Albania. He was one of the 22 victims of the Massacre of 1951 in Albania carried out by the regime.
Jonuz Kaceli was born in 1908 in Tirana. Prior to his arrest and killing, he had been a well-known businessman in Albania
, as the co-owner in the company Osman Kaceli e djemtë, which was one of the first companies registered in Tirana, Albania
after the Albanian Declaration of Independence
in 1912.
Accused by communists of: Jonuz Kaceli, comes from a trading family. During the war he has supported Balli Kombëtar
with both moral and matrial. He is interested by receiving messages of outside the country, and the state has to be protected of this.
.
Acccused of: Auto owner from the rich elite, he is suspected to be agent of the Slavic countries and CIA. The Italians wanted to make him gouvernator of Montenegro
.
working as an auto-didact. Was arrested for the second time.
, in 1915. Gratuated at Academic military and Served in the armed forces.
. Creator of the first chemical laboratory
Albania. Member of parliament from 1923 to 1925. Among the two deputies who abstained on
January 21, 1925, when it was first proclaimed Republic of Albania.
The first woman had finished Lycée. Had finished
Faculty of Biological Sciences in Turin. School had been friends of Enver Hoxha.
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
, accused of bombing the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's embassy in Tirana. The victims were 21 males and one female. One day earlier, another person, Jonuz Kaceli
Jonuz Kaceli
Jonuz Kaceli was an Albanian businessman and dissident of the communist regime in Albania. He was one of the 23 victims of the regime's Massacre of 1951 in Albania.-Life:Jonuz Kaceli was born in 1908 in Tirana...
had been killed while accused of the same crime. It was the first time the Agitation and Propaganda law
Agitation and Propaganda against the State
Constitution 55 or Agitation and Propaganda against the State was a criminal offence in Communist Albania. This law was used from 1945 until 1991 and was into the Constitution of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania....
was used.
They were executed at midnight, near the bridge Beshiri, 15 km from Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, linked hand in hand with a chain and they were buried in a common grave.
The bomb was thrown in fact by Hysen Llulla and Qazim Laçi. The head of the police during that time, Sali Ormëni
Sali Ormëni
Sali Ormeni was a colonel and former head of the Albanian police. He died in 1951, one week after the Bombing of the Soviet Ambassade. He may have committed suicide, but this is contested by many, who think the Communist regime may have been responsible for his death. His body was found near...
, was killed one week after the bombing.
Manol Konomi, then one the minister of justice didn't want to sign the killing without aprovoal the 22 people.
All the victims where posthumously awarded the order Honor of the State by president Bamir Topi
Bamir Topi
Bamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
.
Background
The massacreMassacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
of the night of 26 February 1951 started with the arrests of the 22 people during the four-day period 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 February 19, at 5:45 pm, and the arrested persons were accused of having something to do with this.
Reaction of the Communist government
Immediately after the event, on February 201951, 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
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
, Tuk Jakova
Tuk Jakova
Tuk Jakova was an Albanian politician. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from March 25, 1946 until later that year.-References:*...
, Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Ismail Shehu was an Albanian communist politician who served as premier of Albania from 1954 to 1981...
, Bedri Spahiu
Bedri Spahiu
Bedri Spahiu was an Albanian politician and Lieutenant-General and of the most prominent figures of the Albanian Communist Party up to 1956.-Life:...
, Hysni Kapo
Hysni Kapo
Hysni Kapo was an Albanian military commander and leading member of Party of Labour of Albania. A member of the Communist Youth group Kapo was first distinguished as an artillery commander in the battle of Drashovica...
, Gogo Nushi
Gogo Nushi
Gogo Nushi was an Albanian politician. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 1949 to 1950, and again from 1954 to 1956.-Reference:...
, Spiro Koleka, Beqir Balluku
Beqir Balluku
Beqir Balluku was an Albanian politician, military leader, and Minister of Defense of Albania. Balluku assisted Enver Hoxha in carrying out the 1956 purge in the Communist Party of Albania...
and Liri Belishova. Here, reported Deputy Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Mehmet Shehu, who said:
Completely unfounded accusation
None of the 22 victims had any connection with the incident and no attempt was ever made to prove the connection. All of the arrests were completely political ones prepared by SigurimiSigurimi
The Drejtoria e Sigurimit të Shtetit , commonly called the Sigurimi, was the state security, intelligence and secret police service of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania...
and the Albanian Ministry of the Interior. The arrests were directly ordered by the Political Bureau
Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania
The Politburo was the leading organ of the Party of Labour of Albania. The following is the composition of the Politburo that would be formed after every Congress of the Party. The politburo for the 1941-1948 period is not included....
of the Party of Labour of Albania.
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: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
Omer Nishani
Dr. Omer Nishani was an Albanian politician from Gjirokastër.He helped organize the Albanian National Revolutionary Committee in Vienna in 1925....
.
One of the victims, Jonuz Kaceli
Jonuz Kaceli
Jonuz Kaceli was an Albanian businessman and dissident of the communist regime in Albania. He was one of the 23 victims of the regime's Massacre of 1951 in Albania.-Life:Jonuz Kaceli was born in 1908 in Tirana...
, was killed on 25 February 1951, one day before the others. He was killed by Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Shehu
Mehmet Ismail Shehu was an Albanian communist politician who served as premier of Albania from 1954 to 1981...
. The reason was that Jonuz Kaceli had attacked him. 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.
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 8 days after the killing op these people.Discovery of the mass grave
All victims were found bound with barbed wire in a joint mass grave on the Erzen riverErzen
The Erzen is a river in western Albania. Its source is in the mountains east of Tirana, near the village Shëngjergj. It flows west through Bërzhitë, Petrelë, Vaqarr, Ndroq, Shijak and Sukth. It flows into the Adriatic Sea near Sukth, north of Durrës...
edge.
List of victims
- Ali Qoraliu
- Anton Delhysa
- Gjon Temali
- Fadil Dizdari
- Gafurr Jegeni
- Haki Kodra
- Hekuran Troka
- Jonuz KaceliJonuz KaceliJonuz Kaceli was an Albanian businessman and dissident of the communist regime in Albania. He was one of the 23 victims of the regime's Massacre of 1951 in Albania.-Life:Jonuz Kaceli was born in 1908 in Tirana...
- Lluka Rashkoviç
- Manush Peshkëpia
- Mehmet Ali Shkupi
- Myftar Jegeni
- Niko Lezo
- Pandeli Nova
- Petro Konomi
- Pjerrin Guraziu
- Qemal Kasaruho
- Reiz Selfo
- Sabiha Kasimati
- Tefik Shehu
- Thoma Katundi
- Zyhdi Herri
Ali Qoraliu
Ali Qoraliu (1890–1951) is one of the 22 victims of the Massacre of 1951 in Albania carried out by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha.Ali Qoraliu was born in 1890 in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
. He studied in Selanik and was part of the anti-royalist demonstrations in Fier
Fier
Fieri is a city in southwest Albania, in the district and county of the same name. It is located at , and has a population of 82,297 . Fier is from the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia.-History :...
in the 1930s. In 1945 he was not allowed to work because he was an anti-communist. In 1951 he was shot dead by the communists. The accusation was bombing the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's embassy in Tirana, Albania.
Anton Delhysa
Anton Delhysa (1904–1951) is one of the 22 victims of the Massacre of 1951 in Albania carried out by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha.He was born in the city of Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
. Later he became the dean of the Polytechnical High School of Tirana. In 1951 he was killed under the charge of having bombed the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's embassy in Albania.
Gjon Temali
Secondary school finished in Austria, studied in university for pharmacy in Florence. Arrested and executed in 1951: "bombs on the Soviet embassy."Gafurr Jegeni
Gafurr Jegeni was born in Macedonian Debar, in 1908. Finished military academy and worked commander of the finance guard in Vlora.Jonuz Kaceli
Jonuz Kaceli (1908–1951) was an AlbanianAlbanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
businessman and dissident against the communist regime in Albania. He was one of the 22 victims of the Massacre of 1951 in Albania carried out by the regime.
Jonuz Kaceli was born in 1908 in Tirana. Prior to his arrest and killing, he had been a well-known businessman in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, as the co-owner in the company Osman Kaceli e djemtë, which was one of the first companies registered in Tirana, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
after the Albanian Declaration of Independence
Albanian Declaration of Independence
The Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire. Albania was proclaimed independent in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.-Background:...
in 1912.
Accused by communists of: Jonuz Kaceli, comes from a trading family. During the war he has supported Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist, anti-communist and anti-monarchy organization established in October 1939. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and Mit’hat Frashëri...
with both moral and matrial. He is interested by receiving messages of outside the country, and the state has to be protected of this.
Lluka Rashkoviç
Lluka Rashkoviç was born in Montenegro, in 1900. Mechanical driver of Montenegro, remained in Albania after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Acccused of: Auto owner from the rich elite, he is suspected to be agent of the Slavic countries and CIA. The Italians wanted to make him gouvernator of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
.
Manush Peshkëpia
Manush Peshkëpia was born in Vlora in 1912. Won wide culture,working as an auto-didact. Was arrested for the second time.
Myftar Jegeni
Myftar Jegeni was born in DebarDebar
Debar is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality.-Geography:...
, in 1915. Gratuated at Academic military and Served in the armed forces.
Niko Lezo
Niko Lezo was born in DelvinDelvin
Delvin is a small town in east County Westmeath, Ireland located on the N52 road at a junction with the N51 to Navan. The town is from Mullingar and is the setting of the book Valley of the Squinting Windows by Delvin native Brinsley MacNamara, described under the fictitious name of "Garradrimna"...
. Creator of the first chemical laboratory
Albania. Member of parliament from 1923 to 1925. Among the two deputies who abstained on
January 21, 1925, when it was first proclaimed Republic of Albania.
Petro Konomi
Petro Konomi was born in Cairo. Studies in Italy. Employee at the ATA's, until the arrest.Sabiha Kasimati
Sabiha Kasimati was born in 1912 in Ankara (the origin of Libohova).The first woman had finished Lycée. Had finished
Faculty of Biological Sciences in Turin. School had been friends of Enver Hoxha.
Thoma Katundi
Thoma Katundi was accused of:- Without work out of KorçaKorčaKorča is a village in the municipality of Hadžići, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
, he had collected propaganda thrown by airplanes, he may be part of the french secret serves. By the communist party, a letter of him was captured wherein he reported about the situation in AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.