Albania Takes Key Step in Uncovering Mass Graves from the Communist Dictatorship

 The search for truth, justice, and closure for families of victims of the communist dictatorship in Albania has reached a crucial milestone. The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has completed surveys of six suspected mass grave sites across the country. These sites are believed to contain the remains of individuals executed, imprisoned, or otherwise persecuted during the country’s decades-long authoritarian rule.

Members of International Commission on Missing Persons in Shkodra, North Albania

The findings, presented during a meeting in Tirana organized by ICMP in collaboration with the Authority for Information on the Former State Security Files, shed light on Albania’s ongoing struggle with its past. Teams of archaeologists and anthropologists conducted detailed surveys at the suspected burial sites, bringing renewed hope to hundreds of families who have long demanded justice and the right to bury their loved ones with dignity.

Locations of the Surveyed Sites

According to the ICMP report, surveys were carried out in:

• Rrmaji Cemetery in Shkodra

• Two sites in Shpal, Mirdita

• One site in Selenicë, Vlora

• One site in Shën Vasil, Himara

• One site in Shelegur, Kolonja

Initial results confirm the presence of human remains in all six surveyed locations. However, the final comprehensive reports will only be presented to Albanian authorities in December 2025, marking the next formal step in the process.

Bureaucratic Barriers to Exhumations

Despite this progress, the path to actual exhumations and DNA analyses remains uncertain. Under Albanian law, the process cannot begin without formal approval from the Council of Ministers. Multiple institutions would need to be involved, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, State Police, General Prosecutor’s Office, and local municipalities.

This bureaucratic bottleneck highlights the challenges Albania faces in transforming evidence into action. While surveys offer valuable data, families of victims emphasize that tangible results—identification, exhumation, and reburial—are long overdue.

Families Await Closure

To date, around 400 applications have been submitted by relatives of victims of the communist dictatorship, seeking information about the fate of their loved ones. Many of these families have lived with uncertainty for decades, unable to find peace or closure.

The process, however, will not be simple. Surveys suggest that exhumations will encounter multiple obstacles, including:

• Landslide-prone terrain and unstable ground

• Remote mountainous areas with limited access

• Overlapping or repurposed land structures

• Legal disputes over land ownership

• Complexities in the preservation and analysis of remains

• The need for advanced DNA analysis to confirm identities

Despite these hurdles, the surveys represent a turning point in Albania’s long-delayed effort to confront its past and address the suffering inflicted under the communist regime.

A Long-Awaited Reckoning with the Past

The communist dictatorship in Albania (1944–1991) was marked by systemic repression, mass imprisonments, and executions of perceived political opponents. Thousands disappeared during this period, many of whom were buried in unmarked graves.

While Albania has signed international conventions and pledged to uphold human rights standards, the implementation of these commitments has been slow. Both the European Union and local civil society organizations have urged Albanian institutions to act more decisively.

The recent surveys conducted by ICMP serve as a reminder that truth and justice cannot be indefinitely delayed. They also highlight the moral and political responsibility of the state to ensure that victims are honored and that families are given the right to mourn.