The ominous phone call of 12 February: "Grab the weapons", The enigma of file no. 218 Who killed and brutally mutilated the state’s men? The rebels were armed to the teeth, although the depots had not yet been opened SPECIAL ON PAGE 5

After the one-day strike of 19 May The demonstration will be followed by an indefinite strike, which will probably be carried out and will lead to the end of the school year ON PAGE 2

One year after the Cërrik massacre, Berisha visits the families of the martyrs of democracy. Halit Haxhia, Besnik Syla and Sali Alimani. Memorial rally in the town of Mamusht One year after the Cërrik massacre, Berisha visits the families of the martyrs of democracy Halit Haxhia, Besnik Syla and Sali Alimani. Memorial rally in the town of Mamusht Berisha: Crime is the foundation of the clique’s power A view from yesterday’s rally in Mamusht Photo: A. Tusha A view from yesterday’s rally in Mamusht. Photo: A. Tusha

CITY OF SPEECH , Today, a large rally in "Skënderbej" Square protest against misery, taxes and smuggling Today, at 12:30 in "Skënderbej" Square, a protest rally is being organized. The event under the motto: -Against price increases. -Against the increase in taxes by the government or the left-wing coalition. -Against rising unemployment. -Against the smuggling of government officials. -Against the policy of depopulation. For peace, well-being and prosperity of the country. In the name of the Albanian citizen, the protest will be organized from the podium with these slogans: -Berlusconi of Albania[?] Prime Minister Fatos Nano -Nano leave! -Yelizër Bufi mafia[?] The government must go! Tirana, 12:30, today, 23 May 1998, everyone to give voice to your revolt and anger.

97 days since the former Interior Minister’s arrest The former Interior Minister of the government of the forum for the implementation of the Reconciliation Agreement in the bloodshed of 1998, Ali Kazazi, although after three trials he has been declared innocent, continues to be kept in prison. According to his defense lawyer, his arrest was carried out for political reasons and the court is not opening his file. It is confirmed that Ali Kazazi was arrested in July 1997, accused of “abuse of office” and “theft by fraud”. In November 1997, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison, a sentence that was later suspended. Later another panel of judges acquitted him, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision. Meanwhile he has remained continuously in pre-trial detention. His lawyer describes the case as political and motivated. Specifically, on 25-26 July 1997 he was sent to pre-trial detention. He was acquitted in October 1997, then sentenced again and the case entered a series of contradictory decisions. Contributed by Dr. H. S.

The Tirana government wants to speak, or to keep silent by force - for the "stability of the country". It has the right wing of the opposition "in its pocket", it has taken the left wing into its pocket, somewhere through pressure, somewhere through the "purchased opposition". It has shut them up with electoral means, with the police and its gangs, and has shut the mouth, or hopes to shut the mouth, of every opposition newspaper, every association and every intellectual who comes near it. Therefore it has declared "war on corruption" and "war on smuggling" in order to seize the few commercial offices and warehouses that have remained beyond its reach, and ultimately to swallow up, with consequences, even the property of its own party members. We are talking about a government whose days are numbered, a government that is the first in the history of Albania and the Balkans to rule only with police, gangs and armored cars. It not only has no solution for the economic crisis, for the crushing state of poverty, for unemployment, for the lack of electricity, for the collapse of order, but on the contrary it only deepens these consequences. The situation has reached the point where not only social strata, but also small owners and businessmen, intellectuals and civil society activists, seriously risk losing their positions, falling into the ranks of miserable and impoverished people. Naturally such a government cannot be sustained either under democratic conditions or in a free and market society. The day is approaching when the only solution to avoid ultimately finding ourselves in front of a sign: “Closed for bankruptcy” will be strong, organized protests, general civic and political protests. Protests not to “free” the government from bad officials, or to “help” it fight “smuggling” and “corruption”, as some “handsome ones” of the coalition are actually trying to save it, but to put an end to this government and this evil. No one would, of course, be against a peaceful protest organized by businesses or small shops, on the condition that this time those “confederations” of thieves who steal small and medium-sized businesses do not organize it again. No one would be against powerful peaceful protests by trade unions either, if they could be revived beyond the corpse of the phantom union, already dead. Every Saturday can and will be turned into a day of protest in Tirana and throughout Albania, until this government is shattered as a government and overthrown as power. These will not be protests only against rising prices, against higher taxes, against misery and against depopulation and unemployment. These protests will be against a government that cannot run the country, that cannot govern the country, against a government that does not protect its citizens, that does not represent any public interest. The protests will become inevitable because today we are in the conditions of a government that is suffocating Albania, not of a normal government, in the conditions of a government that does not relinquish power except when forced to do so by the strength of the people, by the strength of protests. The protest of 23 May 1998, today’s protest and all the other protests, will be inevitable if the failed and incapable government, the government of scandals and corruption, the government of misery and smuggling, continues to remain in power after this day. ON PAGE 4

RD FLAKËS The history of the rebellion from Fatos Nano to Zani Çaushi The black file of Vlora (6) Coming soon in "RD" you will read! Tepelena, 180 days under terror and gangs -Who set the first demonstrations in motion, for better or worse? -Who drove the police and soldiers out of the city? -What were the Albanian and foreign criminal groups and commands? -The truth about the events that shook the south -The truth about the killing of Avni Shyti -The truth about the role of SHIK -The truth about the Fatos Nano phenomenon -How were the foreign intelligence service and secret arms supplies used? -The truth about the Vlora gangs

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