Letters from Prison
Sulo Veshi
By Decision No. 18, dated 18.06.1964, he was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment based on Article 73/1 of the Penal Code, and by Decision No. 12, dated 08.04.1969, he was sentenced to 15 years and 6 months of imprisonment based on Article 64 of the Penal Code.
By Decision No. 38, dated 21.07.1973, for the crime of sabotage as a participant in an organization against the people's government, and based on Articles 72-76 and 28 of the Penal Code, for the crime of agitation and propaganda that caused particularly severe consequences, based on Articles 73/2 and 28 of the Penal Code, as well as based on Article 49 of the Penal Code in conjunction with other sentences, he was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment, confiscation of property, and loss of electoral rights for 5 years.
In the archival material with reference'AIDSSH, Investigative-Judicial Fund, Investigative File, No. 2365-A' specifically on pages 126-130, there are 5 letters written between the years 1972-1973 by a former convict while serving his sentence in the Spaç Prison Camp, Sulo Veshi.
Written with longing and concern, the letters convey the pain of separation, the absence of news, and a deep sense of responsibility for the family left behind.
Beyond the simple words, the letter written in May 1973, on the eve of the Spaç Revolt, is a powerful testament to resilience, faith in God, and the courage not to bend, even when faced with a repressive state, at a time when thought was stifled before it could even be expressed, where rights diminished one another and belief was forbidden.
The letter contains red underlinings made by the Security, precisely on these sentences written by Sulo Veshi, which may have been used against him during the investigation process.
Spaç
15.05.1973
Dear Rubie and children, I embrace you from afar with longing. I hope you are well, as I am also fine. It has been a long time since you last wrote to me, and I don’t know what has happened. However, I need to know what has happened, and if you have suffered anything, stand strong, for you have a government on your side that is fighting for you. I have understood this to some extent, but I don’t know exactly, so upon receiving this letter, I request you to explain the situation in detail.
Let them have their snacks and rakija... do not bend at all, because every bad thing we face, the Almighty God will help you.
I embrace you with longing and love.
Yours
Sulo Veshi
