According to the 1950 records, this was a yearly dynamic for the internees in Valias.

-Total: 475 – 820 people.

-70 – 152 men

-164 – 130 women

-500 – 800 children

In 1951, on average the camp had:

-Total: 741 (January) – 872 (September)

-161 – 193 men

-284 – 325 women

-296 – 350 children

In 1952, on average the camp had:

-In total: on average there were 400 internees.

-Around 120 men

-Around 190 women

-Around 90 children

In 1952 this camp was moved from Valias to Cërrik.

Internees

• • Fetie Nurçe (-)
  • Gjon Preloshi (-)

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In the Vloçisht Camp, prisoners would awake at 3:30 am and start work in the canal at 6:00 am while returning to the camp at 8:00 pm. Some of them, who were too sick to work, were actually buried alive in the canal. This was how hoxha Qazim Melçani, lieutenant-colonel Tefik Hoxha, Riza Qako, Jaçe Zleusha, Luigj Luli, Ali Elezi and others saw their end.

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After Unit 315 moved from Valas to Lezha by order no. 664 dated 21 July 1973, Unit No. 307 was created in Valas, Elbasan. The drastic majority of convicts were ordinary, very few were political. Convicts started to be collected there on 8 September 1973 by several units simultaneously, such as 301 Bulqiza, 305 Borsh, 309 Ballsh, 313 Tirana and 315 Lezha.

The starting number of prisoners was 487 convicts. Convicts planned to work in agriculture for the Belsh Agricultural State Enterprise.

The unit’s capacity was 450 prisoners.

In 1977, a total of 382 prisoners worked in the unit. According to a report dated 15 November 1978, there were around 318 convicts, of whom two were political, in the unit.

By the end of January 1979, there were 327 ordinary and two political prisoners there. By the end of 1979, there were 522 ordinary and two political prisoners.

In the years 1978-1981, this unit also had Unit No. 318 under its dependence.

By order no. 4 dated 6 January 1983, the unit was dissolved. This unit was definitively closed on 7 February 1983.

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On 30 October 1953, prisoners Abaz Korçari, Ago Çela, Shefqet Islami and Nexhip Dauti managed to escape through a 11-metre-long underground tunnel. Starting from the toilet, they jumped over the wires and were noticed by the guard when they were 50 metres away.

The camp reported that during 1955, 256 political and 498 ordinary prisons had been received by the camp. In 1955, there were 617 political and 199 ordinary convicts, totalling 816 prisoners.

It is reported that there were around 800 prisoners in 1956. In 1957 there were 414 political convicts in the camp and not a single ordinary one.

On 23 December 1957 at 1:50 pm, an American plane landed for technical reasons on the unfinished track of Rinas. It was not noticed by any of the regime’s “vigilant” forces and miraculously passed by the barracks where convicts stayed. The pilot was first questioned by the camp authorities and translated by convict Hasan Xama. Later, the pilot left Albania but didn’t take the plane, because the tyre system was damaged. The regime was taken from the regime to Gjirokastra.

Works for the Rinas Airport construction were complete on 8 February 1959.

Prisoners:

• Hasan Xama
• Jusuf Vrioni
• Abaz Korçari
• Ago Çela
• Shefqet Islami
• Nexhip Dauti

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The camp commander, Yeiz Gjoka, from Gusmar, Tepelena, had previously been a shepherd.

Internees

• • Mërkur Babameto (-)
  • Panareja Dhima (-)

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In the beginning of 1953, 700 prisoners worked in this unit. In the command’s report, it was admitted that this camp’s prisoners were violated barbarically.  Neim Musaraj was camp commander.

The data from the biography of camp commissar Njazi Banushi indicate that the camp operated from July 1952 to September 1953. This camp’s staff was made of formerly agricultural labourers with elementary education.

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Beqir Ajazi, one of the convicts who worked at this camp, writes:

“In the Spring of 1950, some of us were taken to the Yzberisht Camp. The textile factory was almost finished and the canal of dyes, with which fabrics would be coloured, needed to be built. After so many years in labour camps, this was the best and most comfortable. The land was softer and the treatment more humane.”

After the works finished, prisoners were taken to the Artisanal Workshop.

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They were at the Elbasan-Peqin automobile road, not too far from Bishqem. Works started on 2 January 1950 and continued until 16 September 1950. Five hundred prisoners worked in poor conditions for the construction of the bridge. A large amount of work was performed, such as moving of soil, filling, transport, etc. According to the camp comman’s estimations, 70,350 working days were performed by the prisoners. Other convicts came here from Lekaj in February 1950. According to testimonies, convicts from the prisons of Durrës, Vlora, Tirana, Gjirokastra had been taken here.

The works were directed by imprisoned engineers Avdulla Muça, Mark Dindi, Namik Xhelili. Prisoners were divided in three work brigades. Some of those who worked at the site were Doctor Hasan Jero, Xhaferr Ypi’s sons, Asllan and Tomor Ypi, Zafer Xhafer Vila, Beqir Ajazi, Koço Semini, Genc Preng Pervizi, Father Donat Kurti etc. Tasi Marko was the commander directing the works.

The post Bona Bridge Camp appeared first on Harta e Kujteses.

Convicts would be exploited to build an approximately 50-km-long irrigation canal that would extract the water from the Shkumbin River and take it to the fields between Kavaja and Peqin.

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