The Unfinished Business of rT ansitional Justice: Reparation of oF rmer Political Prisoners in Post-Communist Albania apologizing is accepting some or all of the responsibility for what happened.95 Acknowledgment in this sense means both a factual and moral recognition that victims’ rights were violated, that these victims were harmed and that the state, as well as individuals who are legally accountable for committing or enabling the violations, are obligated to repair the harm done.96 After the fall of the regime, there has been no official public apology to the victim of the former communist regime and public acknowledgment for all the human rights violations. In the ‘Law for the Innocence, Amnesty and Rehabilitation of Former Political Convicted and Prosecuted’ adopted in 1991 a reference is made to official apology sought by People’s Assembly of the time. […] the People’s Assembly, using its powers, grants innocent to former prisoners and politically prosecuted and considers in its honor that, as the highest representative of the people, on behalf of the rule of law, to apologize to this people about the political punishments and suffering they have encountered in the past.97 On the other hand, Prime Minister Sali Berisha elected democratically in 1992 elections declared ‘we have altogether suffered and altogether were guilty’.98 This statement was perceived by political prisoners as the denial of their suffering, to the human rights violations and downplaying the responsibility of perpetrators. This study found that political prisoners continue to demand an official apology by state authorities to acknowledge their sufferings and take responsibility. All the interviewees agreed that there should be an official apology, however, they express skepticism about its likelihood. They believe that lack of political will to address former political prisoners and persistence of former communists and former Sigurimi people in politics and key state positions hampers an official apology. […] the President and the Speaker of Parliament definitely should ask for forgiveness. Pope John Paul II asked for forgiveness for crimes conducted by the church in the Middle Ages, Chancellor Merkel asked for forgiveness for Nazi crimes…99 Of course, the state should ask for forgiveness. It should have been done immediately after the fall of communism, but it did not happen. They should work for the rehabilitation [of political prisoners] and if rehabilitation is complete then the apology is included by default.100 Political prisoners expect expression of remorse also from direct perpetrators or those who contributed to their imprisonment and prosecution. While being asked if any of those who caused them suffering during the communist regime did apologise only three replied yes.101 In all these cases the persons that asked for forgiveness had acted as witnesses during trials. Some interviewees explain that they had met with perpetrators after the communist regime.102 However, they describe this as a negative experience, perpetrators did not express remorse about their actions but tried to justify them saying they adhered to the law of the time. 95. Ruben Carranza et al, More Than Words Apologies as a Form of Reparation (International Center for Transitional Justice, 2015) < https://www.ictj.org/publication/more-than-words-apologies-form-reparation> accessed September 2019 96. Ibid 97. Law no.7514, dated 30.9.1991 for the Innocence, Amnesty and Rehabilitation of Former Political Convicted and Prosecuted 98. Luciano Boci, ‘Obstructed Decommunistisation’ (Panorama, 21 April 2012) <http://www.panorama.com.al/dekomunistizimi-ipenguar/> accessed 5 March 2019 99. Reshat Kripa (21 July 2019, Tirane) 100. Nebil Cika, (11 July 2019, Tirana) 101. Gjeto Vucaj, Angjelin Dapardaku, Bujar Gucia 102. Reshat Kripa, 45