What happened to Mehmet Shehu , suicide or murder?
Angela Hassane
<***> A L B A N I A N - Sun, 14 Apr 1996 19:37:11 GMT-05 <***>
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Mehmet Shehu was the prime minister of Albania from 1949 - 1981. He held
Albania in his clenches for almost forty years. He was one of the main
fighters against fascism and occupation of Albania. He was a staunch leader
and blamed for much of the criminal activities that occurred in Albania during
his bench. Mehmet Shehu was written in the annuls of history as a man who
committed suicide because of his son's supposed marriage to a family that did
not have a communist party membership (triska parties). When his son was
engaged he was to get the blessing of Enver Hoxha but when it was discovered
that the family was not a member of the party, criticism began against Shehu.
Upon this discovery an emergency politburo meeting was brought into session
where many accusations were launched against Shehu. Prior to any discussion
Enver Hoxha asked that Shehu should submit a auto-critique on Self Discipline.
Once this critique was submitted the politburo reviewed it and many questions
against Shehu were raised. One major question came to light, and that was,
his performance for the party during his reign as a prime minister. Some
critics went as far as to question his patriotism in the communist party and
to Enver Hoxha. After many meetings, Hoxha never supported Shehu, in fact, he
lodged many criticisms on his behavior and his temper with other members of
the party. Finally, Shehu was given a final chance to vindicate himself of all
charges questioning his loyalty to the government.
During his speech he muddled through it in nervous apprehension. Afterwards,
Shehu and Hoxha left the meeting and began there ascent through the tunnel
(the tunnel connected the politburo with Hoxha's house and to Shehu's garage
which was attached to his home). As they were walking, Enver asked him "Why
were you so nervous, when the knife gets close to your bones it hurts more."
Shehu without explanation or reply tried to pull his revolver, Hoxha's guard
shot him. This happened after midnight on Friday, December 18/19, 1981. The
guard took Shehu to his room and laid him on his bed. They (the guards) then
put his glasses on and put his gun next to him to mimic suicide. This series
of events is contrary to what was reported. There was never an autopsy
performed to determine cause of death, the gun was never fired and no blood
was found in bed to conclude that he inflicted a mortal wound on himself in
that bed.
Prior to Shehu' s death a series of events transpired. These events may not
seem relevant but indeed they lead to a conclusion. Several months prior
Shehu went to hunt in Tale, Lezh, a hunting ground for the elite. Shehu sent
his guard to chase the boar out of the woods but instead he heard a shot and
went to investigate. What he found was his guard standing over a boar that he
shot. Shehu was very upset about the incident and ready to shoot him. He
stood in the woods with his automatic rifle pointed directly at this guard for
about ten minutes when finally he lowered his gun and walked away. The next
day, the guard was standing in the lunch room in the great homes. Enver Hoxha
was eating and saw the guard was upset. He asked him what troubled him. The
guard explained the incident the previous day and added that it was probably
his last day as Shehu's guard. Enver immediately responded and made him one
of his personal guards. This guard was the man who reportedly killed Shehu in
the tunnel. Immediately after Shehu's death this guard was not among Hoxha
guards and was transferred out of Tirana to cloak the incident.
The question arises that if Shehu had indeed shot himself why was his family
and most of his friends
put in prison camps ( interrnim ). It is not that I hold sympathy for Shehu
or his family but I wonder why not even in the present government the truth of
The Prime Minister Of Albania was never brought to light. Since he was a
colorful character of that regime and probably in Albanian history whether he
was right or wrong is not the issue. The issue is why the cover-up?
Historians cannot conclude chapters without the truth behind this incident ,
suicide or murder?
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Andi I. Como 99
<***> A L B A N I A N - Mon, 15 Apr 1996 02:07:30 GMT-05 <***>
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How do you know for sure ( I mean all the details) what happened and how
it happened?
Just a thought...
Take care,
ANDI ILIR COMO
_______________________________________________________________________________
Box 2477 Middlebury College, co...@panther.middlebury.edu
Middlebury, Vt 05753 U.S.A. http://www.middlebury.edu/~como
(802) 388-3711 ext. 4221
_______________________________________________________________________________
Arben Kociu
<***> A L B A N I A N - Mon, 15 Apr 1996 09:44:23 GMT-05 <***>
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Te nderuar frekuentues te "Albanian Discussion List"(ADL)!
Lexova me interes shkrimin e Angela Hassane ne lidhje me figuren e
Mehmet Shehut. Pa dashur te bej aluzime per Mehmet Shehun me duket se
fantazia e zonjes A.H. eshte per tu "admiruar". Me vjen keq qe ne ADL
zene vend lajme te tilla qe nuk ndihmojne aspak situaten e sotme ne
Shqiperi dhe Kosove.
Parapak koheshkam lexuarnje lber te shkruar nga djali i
Shehajve,Bashkim Shehu. Ai pershkruan midis te tjerave edhe
ndodhite e asaj nate kur gjend i vrare babi i tij. Pershkrimi itij
eshte krej i ndryshem nga ai qe paraqet A.H.
Ajo qe shkruan A.H. mund te jete e vertete vetem nese A.H.ka biseduar
me Mehmet Shehun mbas vdekjes se tij !!!!????.
Shqiptaret kudo ne bote kane nevoje sot per berjen te njohur ne
mbare globin te historise se tyre shumeshekullore per ta bere te
qarte se shqiptaret jane te motshem ne trojete tyre ne Kosove e
Cameri.
Me nderime Arbeni
Kestrina Budina
<***> A L B A N I A N - Tue, 16 Apr 1996 21:56:18 GMT-05 <***>
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For a brilliant interpretation of the Shehu 'affair' and other
Hoxha purges, I would suggest reading Arshi Pipa's "The Political Culture
of Hoxha's Albania", in Tariq Ali ed. "The Stalinist Legacy". Also "The
Artful Albanian' edited by Jon Halliday provides insights into the
affair through an analysis of the Hoxha memoires.
Kestrina.
On Sun, 14 Apr 1996, Angela Hassane wrote:
Barend A.J. Cohen
<***> A L B A N I A N - Tue, 16 Apr 1996 23:14:47 GMT-05 <***>
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At 15:17 16-04-96 UT, Angela Hassane wrote among other things:
>
>It is fact concerning the forensics of the case.........
>
I should be greatly interested to study the forensic report
regarding Mehmet Shehu's death! On several occasions
I have been assured by my colleagues in Tirana, that
"there was no report on file" as well as that "there was no
corps to exhumate and examine" as nobidy knew what had
happened to it. If you have the reports, I should appreciate
receiving copies of the dossier!
Kind regards
Dr. Barend A.J. Cohen (MD, DMJClin, DFM, DOccMedIndHyg)
Lecturer in Medical Jurisprudence and Clinical Forensic Medicine
"Down - Wind"
Populierenlaan 33
NL-2821 BA STOLWIJK - The Netherlands
Phone: +31.182.342535
Fax: +31.182.342716
E-Mail: form...@xs4all.nl
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