In this article
On that same day, 24 May, at 13:30, Aranit Çela, as president of the Supreme Court, reported to Haxhi Lleshi, chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly; deputy chairmen Rita Marko, Mylsym Peza and Shefqet Peçi; secretary Bilbil Klosi; and members Pilo Peristeri, Kahreman Ylli, Sadik Bekteshi, Agim Mero, Dhimitër Shuteriqi, Vito Kapo and Spiro Moisiu.
Aranit Çela spoke before 12 people, exactly as many as had been sentenced in the first group from the Spaç revolt. He spoke about the fate of four of them, condemned to execution by firing squad, but the minutes reproduced below record no Presidium member objecting to the death sentences. Even the intellectual Dhimitër Shuteriqi said nothing about the lives of four young men who, after all, were already in prison.
What threat could they have posed to those in power? Meanwhile, nowhere is it recorded that any Presidium member read the letters from the four men sentenced to death.
The minutes
Haxhi Lleshi: We are holding this meeting to consider several people sentenced to death. We have called the president of the Supreme Court, Comrade Aranit Çela, to report to us.
Aranit Çela: In recent days, a revolt took place among the prisoners at Camp 309 in Spaç, involving around 500–600 people. At first, their demands appeared to be semi-political: they wanted to be removed from the mine, they wanted to be pardoned, and they had some other complaints about their treatment, and so on. Once the revolt broke out, their demands grew and it became clear that this was a political revolt against the people’s power.
Now, all the elements in this camp are political ones, people who have committed crimes against the state and the people’s power. The revolt began with the call to save their comrade, a prisoner who had breached the camp’s internal regulations and, during a struggle, left the isolation cell. The others would not hand him over.
Those were the initial demands. Then prisoner Hajri Pashaj came out with slogans: “Down with communism”, “Down with the Party”, “You will come here and we will take your place”, and so on.
The revolt lasted three days, on 21, 22 and 23 May 1973. After attempts to deal with it, we had to send forces and surround the camp. According to them, they had created a liberated zone and established their own laws.
A strong show of force was made and bursts of gunfire had to be fired. Finally, they were given an ultimatum: if they did not surrender, we would use weapons.
After this, a certain division developed among them. Of course, in the situation that had arisen, a good many were shaken by fear.
So, on the morning of the last day, at the appointed hour, our forces entered. Everyone began to come out except for 60 people, so there was a clash with them, a small clash, and in the end they were captured. We brought 12 of them to Tirana, and after the investigation was conducted very quickly, the trial took place at 11 at night.
Four of them were sentenced to death. They maintained a consistently hostile attitude. They are all elements who had been sentenced for crimes against the state and treason against the homeland, from reactionary families, families that have been our enemies for generations.
So, of the 12 tried, 4 were sentenced to death.
Haxhi Lleshi: And have those over there started work?
Aranit Çela: Today the court’s decision sentencing these four to death was announced to them. They were told that if they breach discipline and the camp’s internal regulations, if they commit the smallest breach of discipline, they will be held responsible and there will be consequences. It seems the situation has calmed down; the first shift went out to work.
Now, the trial involved 12 of the main figures, though it would not be surprising if someone else had escaped notice. In the end, 4 were sentenced to death, while the others, meaning the other 8, received 25 years in prison.
It was very difficult to separate them, to make the distinction, but nevertheless it was decided that these four should be sentenced to death. They are Skënder Daja, Pal Zefi, Dervish Bejko and Hajri Pashaj.
Haxhi Lleshi: Now, the explanations are sufficient. So what do you think: should these four remain condemned to execution by firing squad?
Aranit Çela: We say they should be sentenced to death by firing squad, and that they should not be shot in front of the others or in front of the camp.
Haxhi Lleshi: You decide on that, wherever suits you.
Rita Marko: I too agree that these four should be sentenced to death by firing squad.
It is decided to refuse their request to have their lives spared.
4 death sentences, 1 000 years in prison. How did the regime punish the organisers of the Spaç revolt?
Published in the “Memory Observatory” on 25 June 2018.
!!!This material was prepared for the Institute for Democracy, Media and Culture (IDMC). Any republication must include attribution!!!
* This article was reviewed and corrected on 8 October 2026.