History
The Spaç Revolt
The Spaç labor camp witnessed the largest revolt in the history of prisons and labor camps under the Albanian communist regime, a direct response to the violence and terror imposed on prisoners. The Spaç Revolt represents a pivotal moment in the history of anti-communist resistance, as well as the broader movement for freedom and democracy. The causes of the revolt were rooted in the inhumane conditions, enslaving labor, and both physical and psychological torture faced by the prisoners. The forced labor performed by political prisoners in the Spaç mines was exploited by the state for substantial economic gain. The minerals extracted at Spaç were used to supply factories and plants across the country, or were sold or bartered with Eastern European countries. Discontent among the prisoners grew from the heavy, unpaid labor, the disregard for human rights, the poor living conditions, the meager food rations, and the constant violence they endured.
Day 1
21 May 1973
Time 05:00
Dungeon
The convict Pal Gjergj Zefi, born in 1940, from Rrushkulli, Durrës, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for agitation and propaganda. He had been punished by the command with one month of punishment in the isolation rooms, because he had severely violated the established rules in the section. At the time when the guard sergeant opened the door to one of the isolation rooms and attempted to take the blanket, Pal Zefi would leave, heading toward the area where the other prisoners were located. When it was discovered that Pal Zefi had escaped, the sergeant was put into action to find him. Testimonies from former prisoners, as well as archival documents, show that Pal Zefi had fled to the roof of the section, with a two-meter iron bar in hand, threatening to strike any guard who approached.
21 May
Around 06:00
Reaction
At 06:30 in the morning, the guards called on Pal to return to the isolation room, but he continued to refuse. The other prisoners, exhausted by physical violence, dangerous work, the miserable living conditions, and the constant injustices they faced, reacted by coming to the defense of their comrade. The guards, frightened by the scale the situation had reached, withdrew, leaving in fear.
21 May
Between 15.30-18.00
Counter-reaction
At 15:30, the operational group led by the district prosecutor, the head of the district police, the head of the security section, and the investigator of the internal affairs department would arrive at the scene. After they were informed about the situation, they began the first actions. Around 16:00-17:00, the arrest of convict Pal Zefi was made, and later the arrests of other prisoners. The camp leaders who carried out the arrests were accompanied by a crowd, among whom Dervish Bejko shouted: “Don’t arrest him, you scoundrels.” Around 18:00, after the prosecutor’s sanction was issued, work began for the arrest of five other convicts. At this time, many prisoners gathered on the roof and started to move around in revolt.
21 May
Around 21.00
The Outbreak of the Uprising
At 21:00, the prisoners broke the isolation rooms and removed the prisoners from inside. Since some had stepped into the forbidden zone, the guards opened fire, and this fire was followed by more bursts from different directions, as a demonstration by the non-commissioned officers. The crowd of prisoners gathered in the yard and on the roof, where some of them began to give speeches and recite poetry with content against the popular government, calling for rebellion. Their demonstration continued, and during this time, they shouted slogans with counter-revolutionary content: “Long live Free Albania,” “We will not work today or tomorrow,” “Comrade soldiers, lay down your arms.” By now, the revolt had taken on a political character.
Day 2
22 May 1973
In the early hours of the morning
The Raising of the Flag
In the early hours of the morning on May 22, on the third floor of their building, the prisoners raised a flag they made themselves, without the communist star. A group of prisoners found a red cloth, on which one prisoner painted an eagle with black paint. The information collected later showed that the eagle on the flag had been painted by Mersin Vlashi. The flag was raised by Gjet Kadeli, who prepared the pole, and together with Rexhep Lazeri and Murat Marta, they raised it on the right corner of the roof, overlooking the central square. Shuaip Ibrahimi and Ndrec Çoku kept watch by the flag. The prisoners burned the socialist emulation plaques to give the event widespread resonance and make it known to all. The anthem was sung, and poems by Gjergj Fishta, Asdreni, and Fan Noli were recited. By now, the revolt had taken on a political character, becoming the first anti-communist movement in Albanian prisons.
22 May
Around 03:00
Arrival of Dep. Minister
The entire camp was in the hands of the prisoners. Inside the barbed-wire terror, there was not a single police officer. Beyond it, the large forces had completed the siege and were preparing to suppress the revolt. At dawn, the Spaç labor camp would be reached by Feçor Shehu, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, who later, after going to the dominant point of the camp, called on the prisoners to restore order and to comply with the internal regulations.
22 May
Around 09:00
The Demands
A delegation of political prisoners, consisting of Paulin Vata, Hajri Pashaj, and Nuri Stepa, not only ignored the call but opposed it with the following demands: “We should never work in the mines, but be transferred to construction; our case should be reviewed for release because we are innocent; an amnesty should be granted.” Without providing a response to these demands, the prisoners were told that they had to surrender by 17:00 in the afternoon, or else the police and military would intervene with force. According to some testimonies, in addition to many vehicles with police officers, there was also a vehicle carrying poisonous chemical substances.
22 May
Around 17:00
Without water and food
The prison authorities had cut off the water and food supply. The older prisoners and those who were sick were struggling to endure the hot weather and the lack of water and food. As a sign of solidarity, the prisoners began to share the water and food they had in reserve with the older and physically weaker ones.
Day 3
23 May 1973
In the morning
The defeat of the uprising
In the morning, after 52 hours of clashes, the prisoners accepted the conditions set by the command and did not resist when the police and military forces entered the inner perimeter of the prison, taking control of the situation and suppressing the uprising with force. The uprising was defeated, and all the prisoners were placed in a yard for control. The prisoners Dashnor Kazazi, Skënder Daja, Jorgo Papa, and Dervish Bejko continued to refuse to comply, continuing their forcible confrontation with the armed guards. “The operation group, after making several calls, opposed them and defeated them,” was written in the report on the event. After the arrest of the prisoners, it was emphasized that those who organized the uprising would be severely punished under the laws of the regime.
Name list of former prisoners in the Spaç labor camp, participants in the Spaç Uprising of 21-23/05/1973.
References:
The Authority for Information on the Documents of the former State Security, 'Some conclusions on an extraordinary event in the Spaç re-education section', File 335, 1973
Central State Archive (AQSH), Fund 489, Year 1973, File 38, Page 11, 'Secret Report', 'On a serious extraordinary event caused by the prisoners of section 303 Spaç'. The chronicle is documented by the section commissioner, Shahin Skura, and the commander Haxhi Goro, one month after the event of May 23, 1973.
F. Department of Internal Affairs Mirdita, D. ORV, No. 123, 'Section 303 Spaç
