Father Aleks Baqli was born in Shkodër, Catholic clergyman, head of the Antonian Society, secretary of the Albanian Franciscan Province. He completed the “Illyricum” high school in 1939. He completed his higher studies in theology and philosophy in Siena, Italy. He was ordained on June 28, 1942. He was a professor of stylistics and medieval and modern history at the “Illyricum” High School (Shkodër), and taught the subject of dogma and morality at the high school of theology among the friars. He wrote the drama “Skanderbeu”, which was played several times in Shkodër before the establishment of communism. He served for many years in the church of Gjujadoli and then in that of Arra e Madhe in Shkodra. He was a witness to the placing of weapons in the church by the State Security, in November 1946. For this reason, he was arrested on November 11, 1946 and accused of “agitation and propaganda and attempts to overthrow people’s power with weapons.” He was released in 1956. Arrested again in 1976 and sentenced to ten years in prison. He was released in 1987. After the reopening of the churches, he resumed the service in the chapel of cemeteries in Shkodër. Later, he served in several different churches of the city and some surrounding villages. He passed away in 1993. He was buried in the cemetery of Rrmaji, in Shkodër. (In the photo: Aleks Baqli)
Text: Encyclopedic dictionary of victims of communist terror – Vol. I , “West Print”, Institute for the Study of Crimes and Consequences of Communism, Tirana, 2012, page 152-153.
Photo: © Xhoxhi L., personal archive.
Graphic processing: AHCF
