The old prison was built in 1930 and consisted of a 2-storey building with a capacity of 300 seats. In this institution from 1944 to 1991 about 4000 people were treated and as a result of torture about 285 people died.
Around 1954, Prison No. 5 was divided in two
parts: the new prison continued to hold the number 5, while the one at ‘Mine Peza’ street was called
Prison No. 2.
According to a record from the People’s Defence Division, in 1946, a staff of 123 people (103 soldiers,
15 non-commissioned officers, five officers) served for both prisons in Tirana. According to 1950 reports,
both of Tirana’s prisons had a capacity of 448 (287 political and 151 ordinary) prisoners, while inside
there were about 1,800 prisoners, most of them political. Tuberculosis and scabies were the predominant
diseases in 1950. In 1954, Tirana’s prisons housed prisoners from the districts of Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan,
and Dibra, approximately 440 people. They had a joint command, which was in the ‘old prison’. In both
prisons, at the end of 1954, there were 347 political and 281 ordinary prisoners. Generally, political
prisoners or detainees stayed in Prison No. 5, while ordinary prisoners in Prison No. 2.
Prisoners
- Dom Nikollë Luli (-)
- Hans Trochel (-)
- Jusuf Vrioni (-)
- Muharrem Bejleri (-)
- Rrok Gera (1945-1958)
- Sante Gemelli (-)
- Telemak Dilo (-)
- Ylli Kanina (-)