The General Directorate of Archives commemorates today the 100th birth anniversary of the former director of the Albanian Radio Television, Todi Lubonja.

Lubonja was born on February 13, 1923. He participated in the National Liberation War. He was a writer and leader of the main media until 1973. The controversy that followed the 11th edition of the Song Festival and the anger aroused in the ranks of the leadership of the communist regime cost him his freedom.

“Foreign costumes and performances”, “with decadent imitations”, “dissident performances”, etc., were just some of the denunciation phrases, which justified the imposition of punishments for the organizers and participants of the Festival.

Initially, the Lubonja family was exiled to Lezhë. On July 27, 1974, the writer was sentenced to prison. On June 7, 1987, he would be released after 13 years in Burrel prison. With the establishment of political pluralism, he devoted himself to writing, publishing autobiographical books with memories from the dictatorship. He passed away at the age of 82 in Tirana, on November 19, 2005.

/a.p/