Nexhmije Hoxha, widow of Comrade Enver Hoxha, continues to be incarcerated by the Albanian government which is said to be democratic. She was, before her retirement, the Chairperson of the Democratic Front of Albania and a member of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania. Before that, she was President of the Women’s Union of Albania. During the National Liberation War she fought with the partisans against Italian fascism and German nazism.
Nexhmije Hoxha was arrested one year ago, on December 4, 1991. Even though no specific charges have been laid against her, she has been denied the right to habeas corpus which means that she has neither been released on bail, nor provided with a speedy trial. Various government circles claim through innuendo and slander that she is being held for abuse of office and misuse of funds. Comrade Nexhmije never held any government position, which means that she could never have abused an office. Furthermore, all expenditures made for official purposes are accounted for and there has been no misuse. Finally, in her personal life she lived on the basis of the modest salary she received from her job. Thus, the government has no case against her. Most significantly of all, whatever the nature of these unspecific charges, they are not of a nature which is a threat to human life, yet she is denied bail.
At the age of 73, Comrade Hoxha is being held for no reason other than her ideological and political convictions and because she was the wife and comrade-in-arms of Enver Hoxha, the legendary leader of the Albanian people and their helmsman in their war of national and social liberation.
On April 14, 1992, Nexhmije Hoxha wrote a letter to Hardial Bains from the prison in Tirana where she has been detained in isolation since December 4, 1991, without any legal basis for the charges against her.
About the situation in Albania she writes: “You are already aware of the miserable situation that has been created here and you know the great political upheavals that have shaken Albania.
“Under the banner of ‘transparency’ and freedom of the press, a totally base, slanderous and hostile propaganda had been launched against the Party of Labour and mainly against Enver Hoxha, holding them responsible for what is happening today: the extreme poverty, the debauchery, the anarchy, the destruction, etc. This barrage carried on until the time the monuments to Enver in Tirana and elsewhere were brought down. All over Albania, except in the big cities, this aroused a strong popular revolt: mass meetings were held where armed groups could be seen and the call was heard: To Tirana!
“At the time, the television still… carried these powerful images. This gave courage to the people who had been scared and it terrorized the dark forces which were spreading fear and destruction wherever they went.
“The destruction of the monument in Tirana, as well as of the others, (which were, just like the big museum, built after Enver’s death because he would not have permitted such a thing in his time) could not have gone on without prior knowledge and indirect assistance (…).
“Encouraged by this easy ‘victory,’ the next day the vandals encircled our house and from what we could gather from their shouting, they wanted to burn it down. You can imagine the fate which they reserved for us.”
Describing the events during the next 24 hours, Nexhmije Hoxha points out that if it had not been for the intervention of the Guards “horrible things could have happened. Thanks to their intervention, the house was saved, as well as the archives, books, memorabilia, etc. and the 15 members of our family were able to get away under really dramatic conditions. In the end, I managed to save my children.” (…)
“At the beginning of 1991, the government of Adil Çarçani had given me as residence the small house where I lived for 30 years with Enver. It was destined to become a museum. Then the government of Fatos Nano granted me a five-room apartment, but the stabilization government ordered that the family of an ex-prisoner should also reside there. Since I had the right to live with one of my children, I took the matter to court and won. (…)
“We got from the house what we needed to live a normal life, but we had to pay for the beds, the tables, the chairs, even the spoons and forks, just as if we were buying new ones.
“Close relatives, comrades and friends assisted us financially. After 50 years of hard work, this is the reward for Enver Hoxha’s family, he who published many books and never took a single lek. Anyway, I am not concerned by our material situation. I am very concerned about Enver’s books, photo albums, memorabilia, etc. which are all blocked in our first house (which was destined to become a museum). That house as well as the new house (which they are making such a big fuss about now and which has been the object of so many gossips), the residence, our apartments and our childrens’ apartments, all were sealed off and we don’t even have the right to go there to get our personal belongings. A decision is to be made on this matter after my trial.
“But will the trial of the ‘blockmen,’ as they have dubbed it, be held? The intent was political, but they are dragging the trial date out because they don’t have any legal grounds to proceed. This trial is denounced as a parody of justice. They have a single indictment for 20 people. They wanted, and might still want, to make a sensational trial out of it, some kind of a court martial. Their intent was to discredit the leadership of the PLA in the eyes of the masses by presenting it not only as incapable, but also as corrupt and abusing power, all on the basis of trite charges. All these charges are now empty words (these days, public opinion is discussing the huge bribes given by the foreign businesses to the new civil servants) because there are no legal grounds to the charges laid against the comrades which could lead to a conviction. In the Party-state system, the Party’s decisions also had the strength of law and all expenses were made on the basis of official legal documents. In particular, I cannot be convicted because all the official expenses related to the receptions and ceremonies were always overseen by designated people. We only received our salaries, which went for food, clothing and to pay the most expensive rent in Albania.
“I am certain that they cannot convict me, but meanwhile I am in jail; it is not easy, considering my 72 years of age, as well as my health. I want to be with my family, with my grandchildren who have experienced severe traumas. But the Parliament, President and government have many other big political and economic problems. There is talk of a general amnesty, the main aim of which would be to rehabilitate those who got away during the anti-fascist war, the collaborators and other reactionaries (except for the assassins). If such is to be the case, they will announce that they are stopping the trials and putting an end to all the investigations. We will see. I am ready for the trial which will be handled as a political trial. My conscience is clear.
“I get the impression that following the meetings of the Enverists, the opposition newspapers are no longer writing simply insults against Enver as was the case before, probably in order not to irritate the electors from the countryside who did not vote for them. But, of course, they have not stopped calling him a ‘dictator,’ etc. As far as the insults and threats against me and my family, against my children and the little ones at school, they are unceasing. They keep on repeating the absurd gossip that our family robbed the state treasury and deposited the gold in Swiss banks. They come near the house and shout their threats: ‘Give back the gold or we will burn down your house!’ On the walls of the building where Sokol works, they have written: ‘Ilir and Sokol, give us back the gold!’ Also at school, they say to Valbona: ‘Tell your grandmother to give back the gold.’ They got uninformed people to tell lies: ‘Pranvera had holidays in California, Sokol in Sweden, Ilir in Switzerland’ and many more incredible lies. My only concern is for my grandchildren, especially Valbona, who is a young girl in the prime of her life. When I was arrested she had to leave school because of the serious dangers posed by the hooligans who come and go freely in the schools as if they were at home. The teachers who want to keep their jobs are fanatically politicized. They are far removed from their academic role. For example, Valbona, who during all her years at school achieved top marks, was refused entrance to the exams because she had not attended classes. She who is in the blush of youth cannot go out, take a walk or spend an evening with some friends. Ilir’s youngest son was to start elementary school. We decided he should not go: the schools are completely destroyed, without heating, there is no glass in the windows, it is total chaos. Young thieves enter the schools and steal schoolbags, shoes and shirts from the kids and sometimes (this is not a joke) you can see small children returning home naked. You can imagine the trauma for these little ones! Nobody is reacting, not even the older students, because many of the thieves have knives, etc. Young girls have been raped, the hooligans attack the girls’ residences and in one case they killed the policeman who tried to bar their entrance.
“Comrade Bains, do you know this Albania? Foreigners who come for the first time are startled by the extreme poverty, the destruction and insecurity which prevail. And we ourselves are astonished: How is it possible that Albania has changed in this way in two years? How could the people change so much? Even after the war, you could not find so much destruction, crime and this poverty!
“The most striking is the psychological crisis of the people, the confusion, the disorientation, the spiritual disarray among many. I am not talking only about the murders and thefts which have increased, but many (…) have lost their honesty and Albanian pride. When they see how the behaviour of people is degenerating, many youth only have eyes for other countries.
“Comrade Bains, I may be pessimistic, but many are asking the question: ‘Where are we heading? Towards fascism or democracy?’ All hope for a real democracy, the functioning of a juridical state, where people will find calm and security. But the situation is still not clear. The economy, production and finances have fallen so low that we don’t know when or how we are going to manage to get out of this situation. With foreign aid? There is no doubt about it, but what will be the price? Albania now finds itself in the conditions of some protectorate of one or many foreign states which are helping it be ‘free.’ The Democratic Party, which won the last elections, and its leader, Sali Berisha the new President, are under the thumb of the Americans, the U.S. This is a disgrace in the eyes of Europe and the EEC and the states which are most interested in Albania — Italy and Germany. Serbia to the north and Greece to the south are pursuing their old ambitions. What influence all these ambitions and contradictions between the big powers will have on the future of Albania remains to be seen. I hope I am wrong, but recently many people, especially youth, think only of making it for themselves and are not concerned about the independence of Albania. Granted, Albania must take part in the EEC, but it must remain a sovereign state. It is for this independence and sovereignty that since our Renaissance the partisans and then Enver and his comrades have shed their blood and sweat.
“With the conditions created in the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe, it was impossible for Albania to remain unaffected. It was not possible to resist the huge waves which had been unleashed by the anti-communist cyclone in the name of democracy and human rights. The worst is that not only have we lost what was built over 50 years, but the forces which have arisen have extremely rightist, anti-communist tendencies, and above all, they do not have as leaders politicians who can build a real democracy and a juridical state to protect human rights. (…) but one can never give up on the questions which are vital for a people such as the freedom, independence, sovereignty, political unity, work and protection of the lives of the people. On these issues, we must fight side by side with the people.” (…)
Elsewhere she writes: “I believe that the peasantry which still constitutes 60 per cent of the population has not lost its patriotism, known through the centuries. It is a vigorous force which has direct experience of what socialism gives in the organization of life: increases in production, raising the level of education and health, etc. Now it is also going to have direct experience of what capitalism gives. A few will definitely become rich, but what about the others, the masses?”
“As far as Enver, history will show the truth, because only history can be the infallible objective judge. As far as I am concerned, myself and many of my comrades, we are not worried about our fate: we accomplished the mission we had in our heart and we will close our eyes peacefully, our conscience is at ease. Our life is full of beautiful memories, a revolutionary life, full of passion. For my part, if I manage to ensure the lives of my children, I will die happy because my life of 45 years with Enver was a beautiful poetry, rare and epic — full of patriotic and revolutionary struggles — lyric on a personal plane.”
With this, after pointing out the conditions of the prison under which she is writing — without any table chair, or bed, under a weak light — and expressing her friendship and greetings to all, Nexhmije Hoxha ends her letter. In conclusion she writes:
“I greet you from afar, from little Albania of many sufferings.”
(signed)
NEXHMIJE HOXHA
(The Marxist-Leninist Daily Fax-o-gram, Vol. 22, No. 67, December 17, 1992)
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