1951 executions in Albania

Execution without trial of 22 intellectuals August 2020 Massacre of 1951 in Albania Tirana, Albania Intellectuals 41 19 48 N 19 49 45 E inline 26 February 1951 Massacre 22 Mehmet Shehu (lightly injured) during interrogation Communists, notably Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu The People's Republic of Albania executed 22 intellectuals without trial on 26 February 1951, as ordered by Enver Hoxha. They were accused of bombing the Soviet embassy in Tirana. The victims were 21 men and 1 woman. 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. Background Arrests The 22 individuals were arrested and put in prison between 20 and 22 February 1951, then executed by firing squad on 26 February. The pretext was the explosion of a small amount of dynamite in the Soviet Embassy in Tirana on 19 February, for which the arrested persons were accused of.http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/article/Historia/7046/ Uran Butka: Masakra e 1951, Prokurori dhe Gjyqtari: I pushkatuam pa gjyq 22 vetë Zemra Shqiptare 27 February 2009 2010-07-29http://www.radiovaticana.org/ALB/Articolo.asp?c=360125 https://archive.today/20120910030828/http://www.radiovaticana.org/ALB/Articolo.asp?c=360125 dead 2012-09-10 Shqipëri: 26 shkurt 1951 regjimi komunist ekzekuton 22 intelektualë shqiptarë Radiovaticana.org 2010-07-29 On 20 February, the Communist leadership assembled and decided on counter-measures. Present were Enver Hoxha, Tuk Jakova, Mehmet Shehu, Bedri Spahiu, Hysni Kapo, Gogo Nushi, Spiro Koleka, Beqir Balluku, and Liri Belishova., Gazeta 55, p. 13June 2016 medicmedic 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.January 2023 Execution One of the arrested intellectuals, Jonuz Kaceli, was killed a day earlier (25 February), by Mehmet Shehu after Kaceli punched and injured Shehu in the face after a long interrogation on high treason accusations by Shehu and Rasim Dedja.http://arkivi.peshkupauje.com/2009/02/masakra-e-1951-prokurori-dhe-gjyqtari-i.html Masakra e 1951, Prokurori dhe Gjyqtari: I pushkatuam pa gjyq 22 vetë Peshku pa ujë 7 April 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130209122914/http://arkivi.peshkupauje.com/2009/02/masakra-e-1951-prokurori-dhe-gjyqtari-i.html 9 February 2013 dead Kaceli was thrown out of a window, head-first from the second floor, in the pretense that he had committed suicide.http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/article/Komente/4583/ Pushkatimet e të dënuarve të bombës sovjetike në shkelje me ligjet Zemra Shqiptare 31 August 2008 2010-07-29 The 22 victims were executed 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. Manol Konomi, at the time minister of justice, did not want to sign the death sentences without approval. They were executed at midnight, near the Beshiri bridge, 15 km from Tirana, and were buried in a common grave, bound together.Shqipëri: 26 shkurt 1951 regjimi komunist ekzekuton 22 intelektualë shqiptarë On 26 February 1951 the other victims were shot by an execution squad. The head of the police during that time, Sali Ormëni, was killed one week after the bombing. On 5 March 1951 the executions were approved by the military court of Communist Albania; that is eight days after the suspects were executed. Aftermath and legacy It was later found out that the bombing was actually orchestrated by Hysen Llulla and Qazim Laçi.August 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes, Gazeta 55, pp. 13–14 In 1991 all victims were declared innocent,Daily report: East Europe, Nummers 152-161, Google Books and posthumously awarded the order Honor of the State by president Bamir Topi.http://www.tvklan.al/lajmi.php?id=15452 TV Klan 12 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724190345/http://www.tvklan.al/lajmi.php?id=15452 24 July 2011 dead Their bodies were found bound with barbed wire in a joint mass grave on the Erzen river edge.November 2016 Victims 22em Ali Qoraliu, politician Anton Delhysa, builder Gjon Temali, pharmaceut Fadil Dizdari, librarian Gafur Jegeni, officer Haki Kodra, businessman Hekuran Troka, businessman Jonuz Kaceli, businessman Luka Rašković, Yugoslav businessman Manush Peshkëpia, poet Mehmet Ali Shkupi, thermal engineer Myftar Jegeni, officer Niko Lezo, chemist Pandeli Nova, businessman Petro Konomi, telegraphist Pjerrin Guraziu, economist Qemal Kasaruho, economist Reiz Selfo, businessman Sabiha Kasimati, biologist Tefik Shehu, economist and jurist Thoma Katundi, engineer Zyhdi Herri, journalist See also List of massacres in Albania External links Short documentary about the massacre English Special about Massacre of 1951 in Albania sq Special on TV Klan sq Further reading Paulin Kola The Search for Greater Albania https://books.google.com/books?id=W_LV5RJe_EkC&pg=PA112 January 2003 C. Hurst & Co. Publishers 978-1-85065-596-1 112– Library of Congress. Legislative Reference Service Tensions Within the Soviet Captive Countries: Albania [by K. Vokopola] https://books.google.com/books?id=SfgwAAAAIAAJ 1954 U.S. Government Printing Office Gazeta 55, p. 16-17 sq References Category:1951 in Albania Category:Massacres in 1951 Category:People's Socialist Republic of Albania Category:Persecution of intellectuals Category:Massacres in Albania Category:Enver Hoxha Category:Albania–Soviet Union relations Category:Cold War history of Albania Category:Anti-intellectualism Category:February 1951 in Europe Category:History of Tirana