MYSTERIES OF THE REGIME / The fate of the former Prime Minister’s remains is still shrouded in fog The gravedigger’s son: “They took my father at night” MYSTERIES OF THE REGIME / The fate of the former Prime Minister’s remains is still shrouded in fog “This is how Mehmet Shehu was exhumed” The gravedigger’s son: “They took my father at night” “When he died, I was the one who buried him with my own hands. But later it was my father who took him out from there. They came and called him home. Now we do not know where he is.” That is the latest testimony we have about the grave of the former Prime Minister. The speaker is a worker at the Sharrë cemetery. “Only the driver who carried out the transport on that Monday night in 1983 can know the real location...” Mehmet Shehu On page 3

TODAY SPORT NEWSPAPER Yesterday during the Olimpik-Elbasani match The champions, with three points, secure the top of the table On page 5 Goal drought in the stadiums: only 11 On page 5 “Teuta” stopped in Lezhë. “Partizani” loses 1 point in Patos On page 5 Yesterday in Europe’s most beautiful championships On page 6

Bashkim speaks “Zylyftar Ramizi asked for Mehmet Shehu’s corpse to be destroyed after the burial” INTERVIEW Bashkim speaks “A lost village in Lezhë, the grave of my mother Figret Shehu” “Zylyftar Ramizi asked for Mehmet Shehu’s corpse to be destroyed after the burial” SOKOL BALLA TIRANA - The grave of Figret Shehu has been found. It is her son Bashkim who reveals the secret to Gazeta. Meanwhile, his and the family’s efforts to shed light on the remains of his father, Mehmet Shehu, continue. The chilling testimony that after the death Zylyftar Ramizi had asked for the corpse to be destroyed does not stop Bashkim from trying to find his parents, through futile digs and the documents of their homes, in the end destroyed by the regime, which extended the class struggle even to the graves... What, in a few words, is the story of your efforts to find the remains of your father Mehmet Shehu and your mother Figret Shehu? More or less, I have explained these in my book “Vjeshta e Ankthit”. I had only recently been released from prison - I am referring to the persecution after 1991 - when a friend sent me word that a relative of his who worked at the Sharrë cemetery had some useful information about my father’s remains. The same thing had been told to me in Burrel prison by another friend of mine. I pleaded with him for the first movement of the corpse from the grave where they had buried it, the people of the family - there were several such cases. - For two weeks my father Mehmet’s grave was covered with diggings, by soldiers all the time, and was subjected to violations every night. According to the cemetery worker, the grave was repaired every day, but was destroyed at night, until they themselves had orders from above to prepare the tragic legend of Rozafa. But only two weeks later, in a special operation by special forces, accompanied by determined prosecutors, my father Mehmet Shehu’s corpse was taken out of the ground. Why should the final resting place of someone who was already dead be transferred and “interned”? “According to the statements of Neshat Tozaj, then interned Zylyftar Ramizi... had asked for the corpse of Mehmet Shehu to be destroyed. But Tozaj did not accept, on the pretext that he was not a doctor. The destruction of Mehmet Shehu’s corpse has also been used other times in books and the press. Did you believe this version?” At that time I became convinced that this was true and I stopped the searches. Since 1991 I have gone through much reflection. Has this opinion changed for you? Now I have learned some new information, which has restored my belief that I will soon find my dead father. Where is it kept - Mehmet Shehu, Figret Shehu and at the same time your mother, died in prison in 1988. Do you know where her remains now rest? “When I met in 1991, the then director of prisons Edmond Çeka, he wrote to me saying that for political prisoners killed during transfer, it was impossible to obtain such information. But after March 1992, after I made contact with the Ministry of Public Order, they provided me with permission to search the files. There they explained to me that here there were only records about those buried 100 kilometers away from the place where they died, in a lost village in Lezhë. Then what did you expect to find in your father’s grave? Shocked both of them, in a village together, again after death...” Bashkim Shehu (photo: H. Pustina) On page 3 Bashkim Shehu (photo: H. Pustina)

TIRANA - Abaz Ermenji arrives in Albania and thousands of people “storm” Rinas. The Albanian airport had yesterday an extraordinary welcome for the historical leader of Balli Kombëtar. Hundreds of cars and buses had come from all over Albania to honor the steadfast leader. Welcome to the homeland, Mr. Abaz Ermenji. These were the words of the many banners placed on all sides of the roads. The red-and-black flags waved along the entire national road, where the long “marathon” of cars continued. The festive atmosphere had begun two hours before the arrival of the plane on which Ermenji was traveling. Arriving from Skrapar, Laç, Përmet, Elbasan, Laçi, Prrenjas, Peqin, Peshkopi, Korça, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Delvina, Shkodra, etc., they could not hide their joy, longing, but also curiosity to see the appointed Chairman of Balli Kombëtar. The leaders of the Right Wing League, Sefa Golo, Kola Duroliar - organizers of yesterday’s welcome - did not hide their “anxiety” that Ermenji’s first minutes with his supporters would pass quickly. “We have waited so long for our Abaz,” says an emotional old driver from Loni. The first man of the laur had come together with his family from a Gukali in Vlora to Rinas to meet the leader of his ideals. Who was Abaz Ermenji? For most people, he continues to be regarded as the historical leader of Balli Kombëtar and one of the founders of the main organization of the Mukje Conference. A declared enemy and opponent of Ahmet Zogu - the nationalist organization founded by him was the main opposition to the Legality Movement - but also of Enver Hoxha, he fled in 1944, after the Communist Party came to power. A personality educated at the prestigious universities of Europe, he lived in Brussels. Ermenji had become the hope for a return to an Albania freed from the communists. While the regime, in response to a marked and long-standing reaction in Albania, Ermenji had remained chairman of Balli Kombëtar even in exile. More than his biography - yesterday he was surrounded by voices that “the Albanians” now, with members of Balli-Ermenji, had reminded him of the continuity of the Albanian people. “We will not win unless Albanians unite,” said the historical leader of Balli Kombëtar. In the photo: The cars that accompanied the Balli leader in Tirana, above Abaz Ermenji. (Photo H. Pustina) Arian Cani In the photo: The cars that accompanied the Balli leader in Tirana, above Abaz Ermenji. (Photo H. Pustina)

Ziebendrit in Kombinat The American diplomat at the PS rally Yesterday the Political Secretary at the Socialists’ meeting On page 3 Elbasan Education scandal: thousands of dollars’ fraud uncovered State Control’s denunciation: 5 people under accusation On page 3 Bosnia: Peace descends on the war front For the first time a Muslim commander meets his Serbian colleague On page 2 Berlusconi attacks Skalfaro and Dini No-confidence motion against the Government. The left defends the Prime Minister On page 2

Emigration special A special feature on Albanian emigration, in an important place a unique study on its monitoring, social-demographic structures, and socio-economic structures is presented. Excerpts from the legislation of Western countries are included, dealing with cases of the expulsion of emigrants from those countries, as well as the presentation of the “Schengen” agreement. On page 7

VLORË Police blitz: five sacks of drugs found On page 3 BERAT Alarm in two villages: “We have no water” On page 3 SHKODËR Wearing masks: robbing merchants On page 3

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