The Court of Cassation could not break free of the party directive: once again, 12 years in prison for the Chairman of the Socialist Party and People’s Deputy Fatos Nano The sentencing of Fatos Nano, disregarding every piece of evidence and fact that fully exonerated him, shows that Albanians will still need to make great efforts and sacrifices to join the European democratic family. Fundamental human freedoms and rights, and the political freedoms of the opposition, are nothing but stale demagoguery in the mouths of those in power. Fatos Nano is innocent. His release from prison is the first step proving that Albania will follow the path of democracy and progress.

Today at 11:00, a press conference concerning the Nano case will be held at the Socialist Party headquarters. Journalists and representatives of the diplomatic corps are invited to attend. The Press and Information Office of the SP

«The panel of the Court of Cassation decided to uphold the rulings of the two previous courts»—that was all it took for the presiding judge of the Cassation panel, Mr. Avni Shehu, to once again sentence Fatos Nano, sentencing the Albanian opposition to 12 years in prison and demonstrating that, for him too, those agreed-upon numbers of years in prison are the foundation of the regime, having followed the party order placed before him. Sanxhaku s[?] imo: «legally, in detail, [he challenged] the Court of Appeals’ ruling, considering it [unclear] illogical and arbitrary; based on manipulated and fictitious evidence, with a political vendetta against opposition leader F. Nano.» Sanxhaku’s defense was simple. By decree of the Italian Government, [unclear] Berisha. Although present, although—as with the other two—the scandalous decision of the Court of Cassation was of particular importance because it closed the cycle of the political accusation, constructed with such care, but [unclear] made public by Blerim Çela, a member of the current leadership of the DP. But at the same time, it would be the clearest example of the court’s dependence on the government: an example of political prejudice in a case where the very [unclear] was the head of the Albanian Court of Cassation, who, while the case was under investigation, declared Fatos Nano guilty, calling him an ordinary criminal—and this after casting aside (or expressing?) his feeling of inferiority when he told Europe not to interfere in internal affairs. In any case, this was the trial chronicle of the witnesses. After a series of anti-legal tricks based on the principle «That’s how we do it», designed to deny Fatos Nano the right to appear in court and to deny him the right to speak before the panel of judges, it was lawyer Përparim Sanjdhaku who, as in the other two trials, would ask that logic be allowed its rightful place by condemning the party order placed before him. Sanxhaku su-?mo: »[unclear] the Court of Appeals’ ruling in detail and legally, considering it [unclear], illogical and arbitrary; ba-?ed of the Italian Government, 20 billion lire in aid was allocated to Albania,» he said. This was confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as by a series of invoices showing a total of 20 billion and 343 million lire. So which decree did the prosecution and the court rely on for the figure of 23 billion lire? During the period from 22 February to 4 June, when Mr. Nano’s government was in office, only three contracts were signed, and the invoices show a total of 8 billion lire. Five other contracts were signed 10 days after the “Nano government” was brought down by the “government of stability”; and the last contract was signed on 23 July ’92 by the Meksi Government; with that, the entire sum of 20 billion lire had been used up. So how did Nano steal 8 billion lire? Or why should Nano answer for Meksi’s misuse of the aid? It is said that Nano stole by accepting goods at high prices. In what country in the world does one steal by buying goods at prices higher than the market price? And, moreover, how did Nano steal when this aid had been declared a donation under a contract?

In response to your request No. 80, dated 27.07.1994, by which you request that the Steering Committee of the SP for the city of Tirana hold a peaceful gathering on 29.07.1994, from 18:00 to 20:00, at the «Ali Demi» sports field, and based on the review of your request, it is determined that it complies with the requirements of Law No. 7692, dated 31.03.1993, «On the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms», and Decree No. 74.08, dated 31.07.1990 (Collections and gatherings and demonstrations in public places) In response to your request No. 80, dated 27.07.1994, by which you request that the Steering Committee of the SP for the city of Tirana hold a peaceful gathering on 29.07.1994, and based on the review of your request, it is determined that it complies with the requirements of Law No. 7692, dated 31.03.1993, «On the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms», and Decree No. 74.08, dated 31.07.1990 (Collections and gatherings and demonstrations in public places); therefore, I have decided: To approve your request to hold a peaceful gathering at the «Ali Demi» sports field on 29.07.1994, from 18:00 to 20:00. For the orderly conduct of this gathering, we request compliance with the legal obligations and the requirements set out in your request No. 80, dated 27.07.1994. Chief of Police Station No. 1 Major ARBEN UJKA

Protest by the Presidency of the General Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania. Today, around 11 o’clock, unusual events took place on the premises of the headquarters of the General Steering Committee of the Socialist Party. Numerous police vehicles and other special units were present as part of a violent operation in Tirana, during which many citizens were taken away: elderly people and others, young people and pensioners, all of whom were on their way to work or were in commercial establishments near this building. In view of this situation, we note that the police intervention was entirely unjustified and brutal, and that various citizens were very badly mistreated, including employees of the apparatus of the Party’s Steering Committee, who were taken to police stations. The situation escalated further when, from the aforementioned hour, the building of the General Steering Committee was placed under complete police siege, with no one allowed to enter, not even our own employees. The Presidency of the Socialist Party denounces this new provocation by the state authorities against our Party; it strongly denounces the terrorist violence being applied by the present state against the opposition, especially against the wretched and miserable members and sympathizers of the SP, with not a shred of honesty or decency. In Albania, that time when freedom of conscience, thought, and speech was crushed by violence and the truncheon has surely passed. The Socialist Party is determined to exercise its rights by democratic means; it is determined not to retreat from defending the rights of the broad masses of people, and to fight for freedom and individual rights, fully aware that in this struggle it will face, through no fault of its own, the savagery of the state, which will flagrantly violate ... (Continued on page 2)

SP members and sympathizers are arrested, mistreated, and terrorized. - The headquarters of the General Steering Committee of the SP is surrounded by police troops and motorized patrols. - No one is allowed to enter the SP headquarters. - All public areas around the SP are cleared by the police with their batons. 10:30 a.m. The day before the SP’s unannounced rally, the Albanian state’s police operation against SP members and sympathizers began. The headquarters was surrounded by dozens and dozens of uniformed and plainclothes police officers; several motorized patrols, of the van type, circled the headquarters; entry to the SP headquarters was strictly prohibited. After this terrorizing repression, the assault on SP members and sympathizers began. Several ordinary citizens, including veterans of the Anti-Fascist War, were struck with batons, kicked, and punched by the Albanian state’s police officers. They were forcibly arrested by barbaric methods and thrown into the blue vans beneath the feet and batons of the police. Ordinary citizens of Albania, ordinary Albanian police officers, sons and daughters of Albanian mothers and fathers—they are trying to set them against one another; they are trying to pit them against one another by force. And who is ... (Continued on page 2) 10:30 a.m. The day before the unannounced rally...

Dear Fatos, It seems that this letter is the last one... Dear Fatos, It seems that this letter is the last one with which I send you greetings from home to cell 47 of Berisha’s prison, since they will probably move you from the cell that became your home for a year. Surely you will feel some sadness when you leave it. Meanwhile, from now on I too will miss cell number 47. The government is determined to turn you into a statue, but it fears that we have left those times behind and that we worship neither myths nor cults. We are flesh-and-blood people, like everyone else. We have our own lives, which we will not allow anyone to violate. As for Sali Berisha, therefore, we will continue the struggle to live our lives with dignity and honesty, not like reptiles. The gray hairs and wrinkles we have acquired over the past year are not ours. They belong to the regime of violence and fear, which feels its own agony. What is ours are our hearts and pure, unblemished souls, as well as our children, who will never be different from us. The government is determined to continue its effort to dehumanize us; we will continue to help it see its own face, where violence and myth stand frozen. The government fears the truth. In any case, we have always lost, but we have gained everything. I send you my greetings and embrace you tightly, XHINA 28.07.1994

FATOS NANO, chairman of the PSSH and people’s deputy

- At the «Ali Demi» sports field, 18:00 Citizens of Tirana, On Friday, 29 July 1994, from 18:00 to 20:00, at the «Ali Demi» sports field, near the Geological Plant, the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of the city of Tirana is organizing a Peaceful Rally in defense of human rights and freedoms. The gathering will take place under the following slogans: «WE WANT A CONSTITUTION!» - THERE IS NO PLACE FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS IN A DEMOCRATIC ALBANIA! - FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FOR EVERYONE IN ALBANIA! - WE WANT FATOS NANO! - NO TO CORRUPTION! - WORK AND PROPERTY FOR EVERYONE! - ALBANIA IN EUROPE! - UNDERSTANDING AND PEACE—NO REVENGE AMONG ALBANIANS! Sisters and brothers of Tirana! JOIN US IN THE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION! WE PROTEST BECAUSE WE WANT TRUE DEMOCRACY, BECAUSE ALBANIA NEEDS ALL OF US Tirana