Albania mourns the victims of state crime Let the government’s killing hand be stopped. Black flag at half-mast, flowers, candles lit and car horns to honor the memory of Avdy Matoshi, ulam bizdari[?], Gjin Kolbuçaj and Agron Pasha Albanians will today honor the victims of state terror from Monday night in Tirana. An eerie calm and a general sense of sorrow have taken over the capital, and the ceremony at the Obelisk of Democracy is being prepared. At 11:30, the city’s church bells will be followed by car horns. One minute of silence will be dedicated to the four people killed in the center of Tirana. The black-and-white issue of “Rilindja”, unique in the Albanian press, is devoted to this tragic event. At 11:40 the bells will ring again to mark the start of the funeral procession for Avdy Matoshi, killed in front of Tirana police station No. 4. On Monday, Avdy Matoshi, 47, father of five children and mosque worker, was fatally struck by police bullets just after leaving an egg-selling center on “Fortuzi” street. He was returning home together with his nephew, Hekuran Matoshi, 20. According to eyewitnesses, police fired from behind without any warning. The bullets then also wounded Hekuran, who is also wanted by the police. Naim Boriçi was likewise returning home after finishing work. He was riding his bicycle from central Tirana to the industrial complex and was passing near Police Station No. 4. He was then fatally hit for no reason by police bullets. According to family members and witnesses, the police kept his bloodstained clothes and bicycle hidden. “He has no criminal record with this state. He was a worker and a family man,” they say. Around 6:00 p.m. on Monday, during the funeral march for Adem Hajdari and Azem Hajdari[?], the angry crowd shouted slogans in front of the Prime Minister’s Office against the government. Witnesses said the police and special forces opened fire without warning. The first victims of this attack were Gjin Kolbuçaj, 41, from Kukës, and Agron Pasha, 31, from Tropoja. Both were in Tirana for the funeral ceremony. Kolbuçaj was the father of two children and had just returned from emigration. Pasha, according to relatives, was unmarried. Numerous wounded were taken to Tirana hospitals. Some of them, according to opposition sources, were later taken away by the police. The opposition described this as a state massacre. In the center of the page, a photograph of two black flags with the Democratic Party emblem at half-mast is published. France: We are closely following developments in Albania

“Zhduk shirak writes ‘To the Union for Democracy’ Vocadari?[?], was killed today on the steps of the party’s central headquarters in March 1991, while in October 1997 the well-known democratic politician, the last protester on the steps, was killed in the center of Tirana. The similarities between the two events are so numerous that both public opinion and Western interests should be concerned. Albanians need calm, not endless crises. No one can justify the use of weapons against an innocent and defenseless crowd. The killings that have occurred are extremely serious and require full explanations. France is closely following developments in Albania”.

Nano’s henchman gang, Driton Kumbaraku, attacks the house of the PD leader in Fier Terror in the city, 4-year-old injured The situation in the city appears to have gotten out of control and the police command has been taken over by ordinary criminals who have aligned themselves with political structures and SHIK after the communists came to power ON PAGE 3

The Association for the Organization of Justice, for the Albanian jurist based in Zeovastur[?] and a group of lawyers of the communists Lawyers ask for a meeting with La Pergola The Association for the Organization of Justice, for the Albanian jurist based in Zegovastur[?] and a group of communist lawyers have asked, through the prosecutors, to intervene with the government in Tirana regarding the communist system ON PAGE 4

Xhafaj reveals the links between today’s rulers and criminals for the seizure of power Çinushi, the boss of the Vlora gangs At least 4 gangs, the entire structure of Fressh and the Chief Prosecutor’s Office[?], with the communists’ coming to power, the deputy was supposed to become something else, a transitional step for the masses to gain power ON PAGE 4

The Union for Democracy mourns the victims of government terror The party “Union for Democracy” informed all citizens, political parties, associations and foundations that on Saturday, 10 January 1998, at 1:00 p.m., it will organize a rally in honor of the three men killed by police forces, Adem Hajdari, Naim Boriçi and Hekuran Kola. The rally will take place at the “Democracy” obelisk, around which wreaths of flowers, national flags and photographs of the three victims of government terror will be placed. P-B-D. calls on all political parties, independent trade unions, associations and foundations to take part in this rally, considering it a peaceful protest by the entire people against terror

Starting from 4 January 1998 until further notice the Tirana Bank Branch of the main branch an exchange of bank foreign currency purchases and sales. BANUA e TIRANËS