ANTI-GENOCIDE The first arrest in Albania for: “Crimes against humanity” Shefqet Peçi behind bars Accused of the Luma massacre in '44 The anti-genocide law has begun to fall on former communist leaders. The first to feel its handcuffs is Shefqet Peçi: the 89-year-old yesterday tasted the cold bite of arrest. Just one day after the criminal case was opened against the former commander of the partisan units during the Second World War against the occupiers, the court ordered his arrest. Peçi faces a charge that has been handed down for the first time by Albanian justice: “Crimes against humanity and war crimes,” two articles provided for in the new Criminal Code. On page 3

TIRANA - Bitter joy for nearly 200 wedding guests in the village of Qurrë i Madh in Kavajë. Just one day after the wedding ceremony of a fellow villager, dozens of people ended up filling the beds of Tirana’s hospitals. More than 60 men, women and small children were affected by the severe infection, which then sent them to the pediatric wards with abdominal pain and discomfort, fever and vomiting. The outbreak, which began on Tuesday afternoon, continued yesterday until late at night and, according to doctors, there were others as well. The cause of all this tragedy for this feast? suspicion falls on the meat or some other food prepared that same morning. The many wedding guests. The many friends of the groom’s family gathered around tables set outdoors and for four hours in a row tasted all the prepared food, with veal being the “must” and essential dish at Albanian weddings - also the main course. Everything went wonderfully until, at the end of the meal, the first signs of poisoning began to be felt. From house to house it became known that the cases were not few. Whoever had been at the dinner and wedding was showing the same symptoms: stomach and head pain, as well as dizziness. In some houses there was also alarm, which immediately reached the offices of the capital’s health services. The response was quick. Ambulances were sent to the village and had to make several trips to the hospital. The sick were separated: adults were taken to the Infectious Diseases wards, while children were taken to Pediatrics, where they were admitted to the Gastroenterology unit. On page 3

The white-and-blues in mourning FOOTBALL Round VI shakes the top of the table From yesterday’s match in Durrës TIRANA - A real earthquake in Albanian football. After yesterday’s loss to champion “Tirana”, it loses the lead position, which it has jealously held for two weeks - including the previous championship - and drops straight to fifth place. Poor form and tough opponents have forced the Tirana side to fall four places, also making room for Kavajë’s “Besa”. Meanwhile, “Partizani”, with its two-three-point tally, now has 10 points, the same as the team in first place. On page 5 Today Gazeta Sport On pages 5-6 15 goals scored, one draw On page 5 Euro '96: Albania above Wales On page 6

TIRANA - His adventure-filled journey is similar to Edmondo de Amicis’s “From the Apennines to the Andes”, which, without exaggeration, can be said to have happened. In any case, Artur is only 15 years old. He left Albania as a clandestine migrant, without any documents and without a single penny in his pocket, to go to his cousins. He is one of the rare boys of this age who has been lucky on the journey across the Adriatic, or perhaps his luck rewarded his courage, so great for a teenager, or his good heart received a “gift”. The boy’s adventure begins when he decides to travel across the sea at all costs to meet his cousin. He managed to hide in a lorry while it was entering the Bari ferry, hiding perfectly among the many passengers, then did the same when he got off, again in a truck. Later the boy boarded a train to go to Venice. That was his cousin’s address, “Venice”. He did not know any more details, neither the street nor the number. Our inattentiveness to travelers on land, in Mestre, where a few stray thousands could be found - for the family in the sleeping port of Banjos lived. A simple couple, moved by solidarity, turned toward them, who at that moment needed help more than he did. This is only part of the story of Artur, the 15-year-old from Albania, who at 14 finally found support from the Red Cross of Mestre. But fortunately, it was a fairy tale with a happy ending. Soon he will embrace his relatives, for whom he has finally returned after his courageous journey. After the Questura’s complaint about a “not ordinary” clandestine migrant was made public, the search began for his cousin and her husband - a couple settled in Portogruaro, in the province of Venice, with proper documents. As soon as they understood the Red Cross message, they contacted the two Albanians, assured that they would come today to Mestre to take Artur with them.

Anxiety and terror in the Elbasan Combine ELBASAN - His body was torn into a thousand pieces. A mix of blood and scattered pieces of his body was the most horrifying sight that could ever meet the eyes of the workers of the Metallurgical Combine. Another tragic accident has taken the life of one worker and badly injured another. They had wanted to open the cap of a gas cylinder, but the pressure inside it was far too high. On page 8

Two defects bring down the fuselage: among the injured, an Albanian In Brindisi On page 8

Albanian and Italian explorers descend 200 meters underground KAVAJE - The Italian cavers have been disappointed with the solution in Kavajë. The discovery involved specialists, the two Italian speleologists Daniele Ferin and Ivano Fabi, and a group of amateur speleologists from Kavajë who accidentally “opened” the interesting caves of the gypsum area near the salt mine in Mengël. The depth of the cave, because of its tourist beauty, has aroused considerable interest among the specialists. But not only that, the explorers say the caves are not only beautiful but also functional. They are an outlet shaped by the winds that come in nature “bursting”. The “Gurra Speleoforum Activo”, as the Italian specialists have called it for the past two days, have worked with passion in search of rare caves. The group from Faenza, Italy, descended, in collaboration with the amateur team from Kavajë, into very deep caves, whose dimensions range from 150 to 200 meters. The cave of the “Salt Water” or, as it is otherwise called, the cave of the “Krim-benele” is made up of two parallel underground levels. But the work did not end there. The specialists say this is only the first stage of the exploration, since this area still hides other caves. They believe that here, in the gypsum area near the salt mine in Mengël, there are hidden vertical caves, which, according to them, will be discovered in Kavajë. Now, throughout Kavajë, local people have promised that, for the discovery of unfinished caves, an old tale has been told, where, according to the name, the mystery of the caves that will be discovered is said to flow. Qe.Ce.

Sues the Anti-Genocide law in Strasbourg Skënder Gjinushi TIRANA - Once again, joint agreements in the Centre League. Several articles of the Anti-Genocide Law will be challenged at the Strasbourg Court, a decision taken by the leaders of PAD and PSD. This time, in the morning, it is done by the Centre Pole. Skënder Gjinushi, Neritan Ceka and Preç Zogaj spoke yesterday about the fastest creation of a legal bureau to defend the Albanians who have been sued and who belong to this Pole, as well as presenting it as an alternative for governing the country. On page 3 VLORË The police are following the conscript soldiers On page 8 ELBASAN Janullatos’s "rebels": "We will fall" again On page 8 LEZHË Montenegrins fine the ship "Sanvito" On page 3 BERAT The police protect schools On page 8

IS PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT THE FIRST ALBANIAN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT FOR THE THREE-MONTH U.S. DOLLAR ACCOUNT HAS REACHED AN ANNUAL PROFIT RATE OF 3.73%. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mr. Asllan Hila - Banking Operations Department or you are welcome to visit our Bank’s premises: Address: 8, "Dëshmorët e Kombit" Tirana, Albania Tel ++355 42 284 60; 238 73; 274 08 Telex: 2259 AAIB AB Fax ++355 42 284 60; 283 87; P.O. Box 128 TIRANA.

Fest '95: on stage only 35 songs Presheva awaits the Comedy authorship contest in Albanian The world under the chords of children On page 7