TIRANA, January 23 – On 23 January 1946, Albanian intellectual Musine Kokalari was arrested for the second time. She had already gained attention for her political and literary work at an early age.

Kokalari was born on 10 February 1917 in Adana, Turkey. Her family returned to Albania when she was three. She attended primary school in Gjirokastër. Later, she studied Literature at the University of Rome and graduated with high marks. By 1944, she had published two books: “Seç me thotë nënua plakë” [What My Grandmother Says] and “Rreth vatrës” [Around the Hearth].

The arrival of the communist regime changed her life radically. In November 1944, authorities executed her brothers Mumtas and Vesel Kokalari without trial. She spent several days in prison and was later arrested again on 23 January 1946. The court sentenced her to 20 years in prison. During the trial, she stated that she was not guilty. Kokalari added that she was not a communist and that the authorities sought to punish Albania’s cultural heritage through her. She described herself as a student of Sami Frashëri.

Kokalari served 16 years in prison. After her release, the regime exiled her to Rrëshen, Mirdita. There, she lived under severe economic hardship and remained isolated from society.

She passed away in 1983 from a serious illness. After the dictatorship fell, state institutions recognized her contributions. In 1993, authorities awarded her the title Martyr of Democracy.

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