Tirana, July 14, 2025 – The Head of the Authority for Information on Documents of the former State Security, Gentiana Sula, in an interview for the Log show on News24, spoke about archival documents related to the events of July 2, 1990 and the reaction of the State Security at that time.
Sula revealed that the archive contains over 100 pages of material reflecting the State Security’s analyses of the refugee crisis in Eastern European countries, such as Hungary and Poland, following the decline of Soviet influence. According to her, agents expressed concern over these developments and closely monitored them, but the documents do not indicate that the outbreak at the embassies in Tirana on July 2, 1990—when thousands of citizens sought asylum in foreign diplomatic missions—had been foreseen.
“Before July 2, there had been around 15,000 attempts to cross the border,” Sula emphasized, noting that the changes to the Penal Code and the issuance of passports to ordinary citizens came only after these events.
She underlined the stark contrast between the language used by the State Security and that of the international media, such as Voice of Americawhich reported on dissidents and widespread dissatisfaction in the country.
Archival documents testify to tragic events, including the killing by Albanian security forces of a 17-year-old youth, Altin Basha, who had entered the German embassy in an attempt to leave the country.
Also brought to attention was the extraordinary story of an 18-year-old girl, in the final month of her pregnancy, who managed to climb over the 2.5-meter-high wall of the German embassy and gave birth to her daughter inside on July 7, 1990. This act was not a coincidence, but a courageous choice made in a moment of deep despair. She and her husband came from a persecuted family.
Persecution by the State Security did not stop even after Albanians left the country. Refugees continued to be monitored in host countries through various forms of pressure and intimidation incidents.
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M.D