Two young men from Shkodra brutally beaten in a German hostel The serious incident took place near Dortmund. One of the injured is in very serious condition. Fear among immigrants DORTMUND — German neo-Nazis attack Albanians. While the Moelln trial against the neo-Nazis began in the city of Dortmund—those who set fire to a pile of wood, causing the deaths of three Turkish women—another xenophobically motivated “punitive” expedition was carried out inside a youth hostel in Sundern (not far from Dortmund), where Albanian citizens in particular are staying. Two young men from Shkodra, aged 22 and 27, were beaten with an iron chain. The younger of them is in serious condition at Dortmund hospital. “For security reasons,” Hans Joachim Nitsche, the local police chief, told the newspaper, “we are forbidden to disclose the names. There were seven or eight people.” According to testimony gathered by Hans Nitsche, at least “one of them spoke Albanian, the others a German dialect.” Yugoslav and Turkish immigrants are staying at the same hostel. Xenophobia has been a problem in Germany for some time: far-right groups beat, and even kill, foreign immigrants. The Moelln trial—which has just begun—deals with one of these tragedies, whose victims were three Turkish women, burned to death by neo-Nazis. This is not the first time xenophobic violence has also struck Albanian citizens, and yesterday’s incident has been considered the most serious of the past week. A few days ago, a German was sentenced to death because he had set fire to a house where people were staying and had killed a Kosovar Albanian with knives. For security reasons, the police also evacuated the Sundern hostel, transferring the Albanians staying there to a safer place. Another xenophobically motivated “punitive” expedition was carried out inside a youth hostel in Sundern (not far from Dortmund), where there are especially Albanian citizens. in Dortmund hospital in serious condition. told the newspaper, “we are not allowed to disclose the names of the two injured men.” We can only add that the two friends are in the town of Sundern, waiting for their companions. The perpetrators who struck the two Albanians The two defendants in the Moelln massacre: in the foreground Michael Peters and behind him, Lars Christiansen

Until 1970, Hoxha funded courses in military training New discoveries from the archives of the PPSH FATOS BAXHAKU TIRANA — Not only Castro’s Cuba, but Enver Hoxha’s Albania, too, helped foreign guerrillas. During 1966–1970, guerrillas from several countries of the Third World, then engulfed in civil wars, received military instruction in Albania and were financed by the PPSH. Documents show that the courses were held for fighters from developing countries. But a similar request also came from neighboring Italy: in May 1969, a left-wing extremist group asked to receive military training in Albania for “the victories of the proletarian revolution.” At that time, however, there were no guerrillas in Italy. Terrorism was just taking its first steps. After the discovery that groups affiliated with Marxist-Leninist parties around the world had been financed for almost 30 years, new documents have emerged from the same secret PPSH archive, proving the military support Enver Hoxha gave to guerrilla groups from several countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. An answer from the Albanian authorities to the Italian group has still not been found. The idea of supporting foreign guerrillas is documented for the first time in a decision by the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the PPSH in June 1966. It states that the request of Jumbu Gabriel, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the Congolese Revolution, was accepted: “that one of their fighters, wounded at the front, come to Albania for [unclear] courses and training in radio technology.” The same decision stipulated that Gabriel’s wife was to pay all the expenses and travel and accommodation costs of the Congolese visitors. A few months later, in January 1967, the Secretariat decided to allocate 60,000 dollars “for theoretical and military courses for cadres from communist parties and movements of Marxist-Leninist groups, as well as for sending other groups of students.” The trainees were to be prepared at the Military Academy in Tirana. That same year, 19 Indonesians arrived in Tirana from Prague. Ten of them were assigned to study at the Military Academy for three years, while the other nine enrolled in a one-year military course. At almost the same time, the top leadership of the PPSH approved the Communist Party of Sudan’s request to send 15 trainees to Albania every year for “military-political training.” Apparently, 1967 was a record year for military courses for foreign guerrillas: another group, led by Mukwidi, Kibve and Kabasu from Congo, sent six people to Tirana. They, too, were to receive military training and political instruction for five to six months. This group was also granted aid of 2,400 dollars. In 1967 there were so many guerrillas receiving military training in Tirana that the party considered it necessary to issue a special decision solely on their financial support. This decision, from December 1967, even set the trainees’ monthly scholarships at 550 lekë. In 1968, according to the documents available to us, it was the Communist Party of Ceylon’s turn to send six people to Albania for military and political training. The documents also provide for subsidies to cover travel expenses for Marxist delegations visiting Albania. Foreign “trainees” are mentioned among them as late as 1984. But it is impossible to determine whether this involved military training or only ideological courses. Meanwhile, only eyewitness testimony from that time can fully shed light on the matter. After 1970, the term “military training” no longer appears in the PPSH archive documents. During 1970, documents refer to seven Marxist-Leninist parties, all from Third World countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, India, Congo and Ceylon. At that time, political instability and guerrilla warfare in nearly all these countries caused thousands of deaths. After 1984, only “travel expenses and per diems for delegations and other [unclear] from the Central Committee of the PPSH for holidays and medical treatment” were budgeted. By then, no one spoke any longer of foreign military trainees. Soldiers of the communist armed forces in Indochina

The judges: “She embezzled 549,000 lekë” TIRANA — “If the Court of Appeal also upholds my nine-year sentence, the prison will have to prepare my death shroud, too,” Nexhmije Hoxha had told the newspaper before the second verdict against her was handed down. At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, she had the opportunity to hear the new sentence: 11 years’ imprisonment. The charge was much more serious: she had embezzled 55,000 dollars that should have been intended for the people. Meanwhile, the four-year sentence against kurru Berisha, former director of the Directorate of [unclear], was confirmed. Lawyer Be-shiri, whom Hoxha’s widow had entrusted with her defense, has been [unclear]. “We also have a month in which to appeal to the Court of Cassation,” he said immediately after the final hearing. After four months of hope in the cells of Tirana prison, Nexhmije Hoxha refused to take part in the proceedings, not even taking advantage of her first opportunity to do so, even if only for a day away from there. In any case, faced with the figures and the court’s reasoning, her appearance would have been of interest only to photographers. The only member of the Hoxha family who followed the proceedings was Sokol, her son, who appeared disappointed and dissatisfied after the verdict. At the end, Judge Nikoleta Kita, also explaining the reasons, decided “to amend the criminal judgment of the Tirana court, finding Nexhmije Hoxha guilty of embezzlement of state property and sentencing her to a further two years.” According to the judges, the increase in the sentence was explained by the larger sums of money that the widow Hoxha had “embezzled.” In the first-instance trial she had been accused of misappropriating 3,000 dollars, at the exchange rate of the time. The sum cited in the new sentence is now 549,000 lekë, which at the time was worth around 55,000 dollars. Hoxha’s widow in her cell

The second accused remains at large TIRANA — Twenty-five years’ imprisonment for Naim Zyberi, one of Gazmend Muça’s killers. The Tirana court ruled accordingly, even though only circumstantial evidence was presented against the defendant. None of the witnesses was able to confirm having seen the accused shoot Gazmend Muça. In his closing argument, prosecutor Ardian Leka asked for the defendant to be sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for murder with a trivial motive, plus three more years for illegal possession of a weapon. Lawyer Ostreni made a considerable effort to defend the accused, also relying on medical documents, but the court did not accept them. The court’s president, Agim Bendo, read out the verdict, finding Naim Zyberi guilty of Gazmend Muça’s murder and of possessing an automatic weapon without a permit. As for Franc Konomi, now outside Albania, who is also accused of collaborating in the murder of the young Muça, his case has been separated to be tried independently. Gazmend Muça was killed in Tirana in April 1992, in what is described as the first clash between criminal groups in Albania.

It took just 9 days to travel thousands of kilometers Japan calls Albania. Mr. Ichiro Tura, the Japanese composer who sent us the verifications very expertly, with his name and signature clearly written. Japan calls Albania. Mr. Ichiro Tura writes from Hiroshima to the editors of “Gazeta Shqiptare” in Tirana, according to which “Gazeta Shqiptare” has been [unclear]. It is a short story that contains within it a series of small records. The first record: the letter took nine days to travel several thousand kilometers. (Tura is eager to help the Japanese people [unclear] what is a first name and what is a surname); he wrote it himself on a typewriter, [partly illegible]; it is a desk-written letter, delivered [partly illegible], and what makes it a record is that perhaps a Japanese reader in Italy [unclear] because it is impossible to get through by phone to Vlora, and from Tirana it is difficult to [unclear]. A charming message, already set out in lines, handwritten and [unclear]. (The following text is partly illegible.) The second record: Mr. Ichiro Tura, the Japanese composer who sent the verifications with great care, with his name and signature clearly written. Thus, in the telegram’s handwriting, he has sent us [unclear] in neat writing. Not a single grammatical or spelling mistake. And this shows that he not only writes but also reads, because otherwise he would not have contacted us to subscribe to our newspaper. And here is the third record, this time a personal one: to be known in Japan by someone who loves Albania, when we have been publishing for less than a month, is a result that gives us satisfaction. We are delighted, and thank our friend from Hiroshima from the bottom of our hearts, certain that he will receive the message, along with his subscription to “Gazeta Shqiptare,” which, starting today—here is the last record—will circulate not only in Albania and Italy but also in Japan. Even if only one copy.

Tonight Juventus plays for the UEFA Cup Four Albanians arrested in Mesagne Meksi: “Woe to anyone who touches Kosovo”

My name is Brisida, I live in Tirana, but with this letter I want to send greetings to my friend Armand, who has been in Antamura, Italy, for several years. Three friends of mine, Edi, Toni and Xhoni, also want to join me in sending him their best wishes. We wish him success at work and a speedy return. Understand me. (Brisida — Tirana) I am a girl from Tirana writing to you; my name is Klara Visha. Since I have this opportunity, I would like to send greetings to my brother, an emigrant in Bari, Italy. He is 20 years and 11 months old. My mother joins me in sending these wishes; I miss her very much. (Klara Visha — Tirana) My name is Fation Dimiraj, and I am employed in Bari, Italy. I want to send greetings to my family in Tirana and to my relatives in Vlora. Meanwhile, I take a piece of paper and try to write something just as I feel it. I like reminiscing; I loved school, I studied and got only good grades, but it remained a distant dream for me because its doors closed very quickly. Suddenly, now I am 30, the father of three girls, having left in the hope that their lives will be better. Some time ago, in Albania, there was a king, while he was coming to Italy; I could not learn his name, but that day I felt the loss of a person as if he had been my brother. He was an Albanian, and I send greetings to the survivors who bear an Albanian name. With much longing. (Fation Dimiraj — Bari) My name is Shqipe Kola, and I live in Tirana. I want to send greetings to my only brother in Italy, and I also send greetings to my brother-in-law in Germany. How far away Albanians have been scattered, perhaps to earn their daily bread. They have left their husbands and homes in a foreign land, and I have their telephone numbers, and our tears flow without end, both of us longing for them and saying that nothing matters more than family, telling them that we remember them and are waiting for them to return as soon as possible. (Shqipe Kola — Tirana) We are the Krajta family from Elbasan. With this letter, we want to send greetings to M... We also send greetings to Gjoni, our three children in Italy. We wish them the very best of luck and kiss them from afar with longing. We hope they will read our greetings in the pages of “Gazeta.” Greetings from their parents. (The Krajta family — Elbasan) Do you have a relative, a friend, or someone dear to you far away, across the sea? Would you like to reach them with a greeting, a message, or simply a wish? This space is yours: use it, they will read it. If you are in Italy, you can write to this address: GAZETA SHQIPTARE, viale Scipione l’Africano 264, 70100 Bari — If you live in Albania, you can write to this address: GAZETA SHQIPTARE, Rruga Bajram Curri 370, Tirana.

decision. Judge Nikoleta Kita, also setting out the reasons, ultimately decided “to amend the criminal ruling of the Tirana court, finding Nexhmije Hoxha guilty of misappropriation years.” The increase in the sentence was explained, according to the judges, had “misappropriated.” At the trial court of first instance, she had been accused of an abuse involving 3,000 dollars, at the exchange rate of the time. Now, the amount cited in the new sentence is 549,000 lekë, which at the time was worth about 55,000 dollars.