The Unfinished Business of rT ansitional Justice: Reparation of oF rmer Political Prisoners in Post-Communist Albania 48 national reconciliation, they should have asked for forgiveness for what they did to this nation.111 In Albania no justice was done over the injustice, instead, injustice was placed over injustice and without the start of justice over injustice, we will not be able to enter the European Union.112 The interviewees also associate the need for retributive justice directly with their reparation. Interviewees imply that accountability for the crimes and prosecution is reparative for victims. While asked what measures will make former political prisoners feel better regarding what happened to them, some of the interviewees answered “… without the punishment of communist crimes Albania will not make progress”.113 In fact, our generation is almost ending. What will calm us is the removal of those that have prosecuted in high positions, we do not want to see them anymore. We have received our compensation, education, and housing has been personally settled, what remains are these people we are allergic to, something must be done.114 One of the measures requested by us [political prisoners] was the punishment of the crimes, and responsibility for those crimes against humanity… No measures have been taken, be it on the legal, political or moral dimension. The authors of crimes during the communist regime were not touched on the contrary they continued and continue to rule the Albanian government…115 The first thing to do was to punish communist crimes with a Parliamentary resolution…116 Other Needs De-communization Some of the interviewees explain that de-communization is an important issue that should be addressed and that should have started after the fall of the communist regime. Emphasis is put on the de-communization of textbooks and the de-communization from communist symbolism, street names, and institutions, which still bear the names of persecutors, thereby risking erasing historical memory over what happened for decades. In my political speeches at that time I used to say that communism must be destroyed, nevertheless we were not listened to and many necessary measures were not taken. If some actions had been taken, we would not be in the situation we are today. What will you ask? First, communist crimes should have been identified and communicated to citizens to raise awareness of who they [communist] were. Not as retribution but to let people know. Those who were in senior positions during communism should have been prevented from political participation, and a couple of individuals should have been punished.117 Coming to the Terms with the Past The communist past remains an open wound in Albania’s history. It is still not clear how we as a society will cope with our past. Should we remember what happened during the communist 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. Zenel Drango Beqir Topciu (19 July 2019, Tirane) Bedri Cuku Gjeto Vucaj Nebil Cika, chairman of Former Prosecuted Anti-Communist Association (11 July 2019, Tirana) Zenel Drango Uran Kostreci