Osman Kazazi was born in Tirana, an intellectual and nationalist who was also a member of the National Front (Balli Kombëtar). He completed his primary education in Tirana and his secondary education at the gymnasium in Shkodra. He participated in protests and demonstrations organized in the cities of Shkodra and Tirana against the Italian occupation of the country. In September 1939, he enrolled at the University of “La Sapienza” in Rome, studying pharmacy. In the summer of 1942, he returned for summer break and decided to interrupt his studies to dedicate himself to the fight against the occupiers as part of the National Front. He contributed to the press of this organization as well as to the organization of anti-fascist resistance in Tirana. With the end of the war and the rise to power of the communists, his suffering began. On November 14, 1944, he was arrested by the communists as an activist of the National Front and as an anti-communist. He was imprisoned and interned for over 40 years of his life. With the fall of communism, he was elected chairman of the Association of Political Persecutees of Albania. In 1992, the President of the Republic decorated him with the “Sword of Democracy” medal. In 1997, he was honored with the title “Honorary Citizen of Shkodra,” and a year later, “Honorary Citizen of Tirana.” He was also decorated by the Vatican with the “Golden Medal of Joannes PP II,” as well as “For Merits in Service to the People” by the city of Verona. He passed away in 1999. (In the photo: Osman Kazazi)
Text: Encyclopedic dictionary of victims of communist terror – Vol. IV , “West Print”, Institute for the Study of Crimes and Consequences of Communism, Tirana, 2015, page 199-200.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_Kazazi
Graphic processing: AHCF
