Hoxha had gone to join his friends. But which friends? Who was waiting for him on the other side? What kind of revenge would they exact on him for their lives cut short? For the families he had destroyed? For the children he had killed? For putting a ruthless end to their common dream?
Shehu’s appearance before the bench was dramatic. The former interior minister and sigurimi officer for over 40 years declared that he had been savagely tortured and forced to admit the charges, which he now denied.
I can understand what you did to your political opponents, or to your former collaborators, but why all the hatred against their children, whom you once held in your arms like your own?
By 1990 the Sigurimi reportedly had no less than a million files, which means a file for every adult citizen of Albania. The files contained all sorts of information - from people’s political beliefs to details about their personal lives such as adultery, betrayal or sexual preferences.
Not only did we not fulfill the promises we made to the people, but we also failed to realise our own dreams, for which we sacrificed our youth, and the dreams of our comrades who laid down their lives. The most iniquitous and painful aspect of the regime we helped set up was the repression. And yet no one has ever made a public apology for that. I take this opportunity to say sorry not only to the victims that suffered directly, but also to the entire Albanian people. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.