The study of the life and work of the journalist, Fiqiri Llagami, within the framework of a biographical book, who had graduated from the “Ecole des hautes – etudes, rue de la sorbonne – paris, ecole de journalisme” in 1935 and from the “Université de Paris, faculte de droit, crtificat d'etudes administratives et financiers” in 1940, prompted me to write this modest article, to precede this book, in which, not only a personal biography is made, but also a scanner of the historical – political conditions of the time. Fiqiri Llagami was an intellectual of European proportions, since in its beginnings, he accompanied the scientific conference: “On Albania”, Professor Leon Rey and took interviews with high personalities of France of that time, such as: Senator Mr. Justin Godart, which he published in the newspaper “Besa” under the title; “Ç'thotë për Shqipërënë Justin Godard”, in no. 859, May 28, 1934.
With Mr. EV Letzgus, director of the Franco-Albanian Chamber of Commerce, entitled: “On the development of Franco-Albanian trade”, published in the newspaper “Besa”, no. 783, February 21, 1934, etc., who, after the Second World War, would be declared by the Special Court of April 13, 1945, as a “War Criminal” and would be sentenced to 20 years in prison!
To continue with the ordeal of psychological horror caused by the designation "Enemy of the People", a designation that discredited him, before society, before his family, before himself and with his second arrest, in 1975 and sentence to 8 years in prison, but after three years in prison, he would die in Hospital No. 2 of Tirana, on 17.02.1978, without ever knowing why he had been designated; "Enemy of the People" and why he had to be punished and massacred like this!
Every time the invaders come, or the governments established by them, there is talk of "A new spirit" which unfortunately, there is nothing new, except for changing the "puppets" to stutter the words of the "actors", according to the occasion required; sometimes with the voice of an angel, sometimes with the voice of the devil. And it is precisely that moment that Albanians are filled with spirit, because they believe that something will change for their good, those were the times when Albanians truly took to the streets of the world, not as economic immigrants, but as students, to prepare to truly bring the new spirit to our lands.
It is worth noting that during the time of Ahmet Zog, many Albanians went to study and there were many that were financed by the government, but what impressed me was the law that if you stayed in class, or finished your studies and did not return to your homeland, you owed the state all the money spent, but this good, I would say, had its bad side.
Focusing only on the fact of how the post-war government attempted to use Fiqiri Llagami, without going into other details of the life and work of this intellectual, I would like to mention that there were also such attempts by the pre-war governments. In 1931, when Fiqiri was continuing his studies at the Tirana gymnasium, a new organization was created, the “Fryma e Re” society, which, according to Fiqiri’s depositions, he himself was elected its president and, according to his depositions, since 1929, he had begun writing literary articles, which were published in newspapers and magazines of that time such as: “Gazeta e re”, the magazines “Vatra”, “Ora” etc…!
In 1931, he wrote an article under the pseudonym "Amikus" in the newspaper "Shqipëria e Re" of Constanta, Romania, criticizing the Zog regime, was arrested by two policemen, one of whom was Besim Pazari, and after three weeks in prison, was released...! - It is stated, among other things, in the minutes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Branch I, No. 8, on "Materials available for Fiqiri Llagami, Tirana, on 06.10.1957.
In the period of time, when Fiqiri Llagami was an excellent student at the Tirana gymnasium and when our country did not yet have a University, of course anyone would have requested economic assistance to enable him to study abroad, so Fiqiri's request to the Minister of Education at the time, Mirash Ivanaj, cannot be called Fiqiri's supporter, or not, of King Zog, although he had publicly announced his ideas, which were condemned as; "Progressive thoughts for the time".
This right belongs to every Albanian citizen, just as we did during the communist dictatorship, regardless of whether we were communist or not, they gave us a scholarship or not. I think that was the reason that after he applied for a scholarship, they dragged him from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to impose conditions on him if he would become a collaborator of the State Security.
As it is written in the "Top Secret" report, which I mentioned a little above, that: "In 1933, after graduating from high school, he addressed a request to the former Minister of Education, Mirash Ivanaj, to secure a scholarship, but because the Ministry of Education "did not have funds", he recommended him to the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Juka, who called him himself in September 1933, and informed him that a half scholarship of 120 francs per month had been approved...!
Some of the tasks that Musaj had assigned to him are: to always speak well in the foreign environment, whenever he would ascertain something about the fugitives of that time... to immediately inform Musaj...", but during the years of study, and although it is said that he has reported constantly, but no document substantiates this, regarding the espionage of the fugitives, while in the propaganda of Albania, he has actively participated and not only that, but he has worked to propagate the recognition of Albania in France, as in the Conference with Professor Rey, as the leader of archaeological research in Albania for about 10 years, which are proven by documents, but these would be done by any honest Albanian.
But the way they receive Fiqiri after he returns from his studies, makes you think that he; "has not performed his duties well" of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Juka...! The problem of Fiqiri's repatriation, after he finishes his studies at the Sorbonne in France, would certainly have to do with the people of the then government, who promised to place him in important institutions, but the unexpected happened, as soon as he landed on Italian soil, he was arrested in 1942, by the Italian carabinieri, at the time when he was returning from France to Albania, where he was kept in isolation for almost three months..."
Another fact is that after he was released and returned to Albania, he was not even appointed as deputy mayor, because that job was outside of politics. In the minutes held on 11.05.1961, Fiqiriu declares before the investigative commission formed by: Sino Zhupa, Frederik Nosi, Delo Balili, Jahja Hatibi that:
"Until 1942, I was in Paris, where seven years earlier I had graduated from the Faculty of Journalism. In order to come to Albania, I wrote a letter to Mustafa Kruja and Kolë Bib Mirakaj, of course taking advantage of the opportunities of the occasion by promising. Although I was not doing well economically, I did not accept political offices, nor cooperation with the bodies of the occupier, although I was asked from time to time, that I would work with property in Albania with the promise that I would have their support.
During the time that Kolë Bib Mirakaj was Minister of Internal Affairs, I verbally submitted my request to be appointed as Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Tirana, because I was in a difficult economic situation and on the other hand, it was an office without political responsibility and unsuitable for me, who had also graduated with administrative studies. That office was definitely not given to me, because Nikolla Kotte, who was more supported, was appointed to that position.
To meet family needs, I accepted to teach French at first and later Albanian and history at the Women's Institute of Tirana. After the closure of this Institute, I was left without a job because I worked part-time and was forced to give private French lessons. With the income from these lessons, I lived until the time when the Mitrovica government declared that the press was free.
I then decided to publish an opposition newspaper, of course within the limits allowed by the situation at the time, with the aim of preaching the unity of the youth, around the ideal of the Homeland, the denigration of fratricide and all those who had caused the arrival of Italy in Albania, and the unmasking of all the people who had served Fascism, such as: Mustafa Krujë, Hilmi Lekë, Kolë Biba, Maliq Bushati, Qazim Mulleti, and others.
In issue 3 of this newspaper, I published an article in which I exalted youth and opposed any connection with any occupier. As a result of this article, I was notified of an order from the Prefecture to prohibit me from continuing to publish the newspaper and was informed that imprisonment measures would be taken against me.
On this occasion, I made an opportunistic maneuver, going to Tufina to meet Abas Kupi and to ask for his help, I got an interview in which he expressed his ideas regarding the Kosovo issue…! It seems that the Mitrovica Government bodies found this interview written not in conflict with their interests and with the mediation of Abas Kupi, they allowed me to continue publishing…”!
This newspaper was in opposition to the occupier and his collaborators, so after 2 and a half months, the order for its closure was received by the Prefecture during the occupation, it was accused of being a communist and during the communist era, it was accused of being a traitor and a "War Criminal". This dangerous game of so-called Albanian politics clearly shows that regardless of whether you were legalistic, ballistic, communist, or unorganized, as Fiqiri was, if you showed patriotic signs in the service of the people, homeland, nation, you were destined to be killed, imprisoned, interned, morally persecuted until you became an unwanted person for society, your family and your children.
It was clear that a man like Fiqiri Llagami, the son of Myslym Llagami, who was a very capable man, a famous lawyer in Tirana at the beginning of the last century, but suffered for a single reason; he sought freedom for his nation and was imprisoned by the Turks, Serbs and Albanians, where he had as his wife the daughter of the patriot Hasan Sharra, who turned his house into the headquarters of the ministries of Ismail Qemali's government, a man who kept the map of Ethnic Albania in his house, would have the fate of all Albanian patriots and intellectuals of that time, because the writings of the newspaper "Albania" were not only in opposition to the government, but also to the Communist Party, which represented the next occupant; the Yugoslavs.
Therefore, in addition to the final ban on its publication, after two and a half months of patriotic activity, after the liberation and re-occupation from Slavism, its publisher would continue to be dealt with, to be called; "War Criminal" and in the special trial on April 13, 1945, he would be tried and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, confiscation of property and deprivation of civil rights. In this infamous trial, where about 60 people were tried, some were shot, some were sentenced to 30 years in prison, some to 20 years in prison, some to 5 years and only 2 people were found innocent...!
The absurd accusation against him was: "He was a tool of enemy propaganda as a propagandist and journalist", (especially in the newspaper "Shqipnia"), an accusation to which he responds before the jury: "I, who voluntarily stayed away from political activity, since 1935 (the date of completion of my university studies, in the field of journalism and administration) and until the short publication of 'Shqipnia' (March-April 1944) I, who did not publish any political newspaper, for a period of 10 years, there is no doubt that I was not so stupid and ignorant, that, exactly when the occupier and the regime were in agony. to become their lawyer! And a lawyer without remuneration!
The factors that determined the publication, I have honestly shown in 'Pro - Memorja'; friends from the mountains, even before the publication, have been alerting about the program of the notebook, a program that I had given to Nexhmedin Shehi, who, of course, communicated it where necessary. 'Albania' was just published, it was received with enthusiasm and many friends in the underground collaborated in it, like Demir Godelli, etc...
Today it is not difficult to criticize the occupier and his people, "Albania" fought at the very time when they had the rifle in their hands and we only had the feather and the flame of love for the Homeland..."!
Thus, in the criminal record, in the document dated 26.11.1975, it is stated: "By decision of the special court, with No. (no date). 14.04.1945, he was sentenced for war crimes to 20 years of deprivation of liberty...", but later he was pardoned 10 years on the occasion of 28 November and in 1954, he was released from prison, to later experience the most severe prison, that of psychological terror, by being sent to internment in Lushnja, for a year, but he returned to Tirana after 6 years, to begin the ordeal of unemployment, extreme poverty and persecution by the "operators" of the State Security, who appeared to be his friends...!
I have never touched a file as voluminous as Fiqiri Llagami's, and at the same time, a file filled with: "He told me, I told him", or "he left the house, crossed the street, met with... then broke up..."?! Oh my God, what has been done to Albanians just to keep them under control, to enslave and massacre them to the core!
So after writing the fairy tale - "telenovela", he was arrested on the charge of "Enemy of the People" and in 1975, he was arrested and on 30.11.1975, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison, "For agitation and propaganda", a charge that Fiqiri Llagami strongly opposed and did not accept, but as I said at the beginning, premature death came to his "help", to save him from communist hell, because on 17.02.1978, he passed away in Hospital No. 2, in Tirana.
The life journey of Fiqiri Llagami is like that of many Albanian intellectuals of that time, but unfortunately, even in this time without good times for Albanians, but writing about their lives and work is the duty of every intellectual, writer, researcher, to understand where we were, where we are and where we should go!
I have often said, I repeat it to the point of monotony, that the class of intellectuals of the 1940s has never been, nor will it ever be for Albania and our nation, their murder, imprisonment, internment, discrimination by the communist system, has been the greatest misfortune of the times. The untimely loss of these intellectuals was felt not only by the Albania of that time, the Albania of the communist dictatorship, the Albania of today, but will also be felt by the Albania of tomorrow…! / Memorie.al
