Open Letter to Charge d'Affaires U.S. Embassy Tirana, Albania

OPEN LETTER TO: U.S. EMBASSY – TIRANA Ms. Leyla Moses-Ones Charge d'Affaires of the United States Embassy of Albania DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO ALBANIA Mr. Luigi Soreca Head of Delegation We are the representatives of a family which fought and shed blood for the freedom of Albania and are writing to you as one. Although born on separate continents, we are now united here in Albania.

Our origin is the House of Gjomarkaj in Mirdita. Ms. Bianca Gjomarkaj Nakovics is the legal representative of Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni, who died while in exile in Italy in 1966 and the daughter of Kapidan Ndue Gjomarkaj, born in Orosh, Mirdita and died in the United States of America in 2011.

Artan Lleshi is the son of Preng Nikolle Lleshi, who died under dubious political circumstances on August 6, 1993 in QafĂŤ-Molle, Mirdite, while his grandfather was Nikolle Prenge Lleshi, former Senior Officer of the National Army, who was shot without a trial and whose body disappeared on December 26, 1946.

Dear Ms. Moses-Ones and Mr. Soreca, our families have passed the most bitter fate in the history of communist totalitarianism in Albania.

From the family of Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni, two sons were shot without trial and their bodies disappeared without a trace: Mark Gjomarkaj on June 6, 1946 and Llesh (Aleksander) Gjomarkaj on August 8, 1947.

For political reasons Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni and his second oldest son Ndue Gjomarkaj were force to leave Albania in 1944 and were banned from reentering until 1991. All their properties in Albania were burned and/or sequestered as declared in the Gazeta Zyrtare of 25 August, 1945.

Nikolle Gjomarkaj, the youngest son, escaped from the internment camp at Turan in 1949 and was also banned from reentering the Albanian capital. Dede Gjomarkaj, fourth son of Kapidan Gjon Marka Gjoni, was imprisoned for political reasons in Albania for 15 years and afterward was interned with the rest of the family, including women and children, until 1991.

From the family of Nikolle Prenge Lleshi (Gjomarkaj), who was shot without a trial for political reasons and his body never found, the entire family including minors was interned. His son Preng Nikolle Lleshi was killed under dubious circumstances in 1996.

Based on the legal framework, Artan Lleshi, despite the enormous social and economic conditions, has called for prosecution to the Crime Against Humanity Political Bureau for these crimes: 1-) murder without trial and the disappearance of the body of his grandfather for motives clearly political.

2 -) expulsion of the whole family through internment, including women and minor children.

3 -) burning of the house and sequestration of property for political reasons, according to the decision in the official Gazette of 1947.

The Courts’ responses have been slow and the cynical decisions filled with hate speech and dismissal of the acts. The Court decided not to initiate investigations.

Despite this Mr. Lleshi filed an Appeal to initiate investigations and clarify the circumstances of the facts. The Appellate Court's decision was also the same as that of the First Instance Court and was appealed by Mr. Lleshi to be tried by the Supreme Court, which did not accept the Recourse due to the absence of an attorney. Mr. Artan Lleshi has asked the court to appoint a State Attorney due to his and his family’s economic situation and has never received a response from the court.

The perpetrators of these crimes have yet to be brought to justice and no apology has ever been given to the families from any official government entity.

Mr. Artan Lleshi has also written to all Albanian institutions requesting property rights, as heir of his grandfather, Nikolle Prenge Lleshi (Gjomarkaj), as well as property rights in the co-ownership of Nikolle Prenge Lleshi and Gjon Marka Gjoni.

As heirs, Mr. Artan Prenge Lleshi (Albanian citizen) and Bianca Gjomarkaj Nakovics (American/Albanian citizen) have asked for information on their property rights to the Municipality of Mirdite, where part of the property in the coownership is located. The official reply was a form letter without explanation as to the date of alienation and by which law the private property owned by Gjon Marka Gjoni and Nikolle Prenge Lleshi, on which a Hydro Power Plant (HEC) was built, became public property. The request sent to the Municipality of Mirdite was accompanied by appropriate legal basis and relevant legal acts of inheritance.

Mr. Artan Lleshi also requested from the ATP (Agency for Treatment of Property) office documents indicating physical return of the property but has been directed to investigate corruption relating to our properties, wherever they are located, to the State’s High Control, Ministry of Environment and Regional Council of Lezha.

He has not received any explanation or answer to date.

We are asking your assistance by applying the best possible pressure on the applicable Albanian law enforcement agencies in order to realize our rights under

the laws of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania and the Agreements with the International Human Rights Convention.

The United States of America and the European Union are the dream of Albanians in their hope of respect for human rights.

With respect for you and the people you represent.

Bianca Gjomarkaj Nakovics Artan Prenge Lleshi.