Avni Rustemi's second trial in Tirana

By Pellum Kulla

Avni Rustemi’s trial one hundred years ago seems to have been nothing compared to the one that he has to undergo in today’s Albania. The current trial is not being held in French and not in a court, but by his fellow countrymen. What is the reason for this?

I question myself why among many other issues; Tirana suddenly shifted its attention towards Avni Rustemi? Why are they judging him and the great intellectuals that supported his action, like Gjergj Fishta and Fan Noli? Is it because we have suddenly decided to tear up pictures of old heroes, only because Enver Hoxha used to respect them too?

Personally, I join to defend the legacy of Avni Rustemi, not only because I continue to see him as a hero, but also because I have worked on a successful play, inspired by his legacy. However, I do not intend to protect my play here, since it could have been inspired by any other great patriotic gesture and include different characters. Instead, I want to defend a national hero, who happened to also be a character written with love and inspiration in one of my plays.

For the first time I faced negative comments regarding Avni Rustemi from the uncle of one of my close friends. The man implied that all Albanian artists at the time were merely propagating the artistic tastes of the dictator. That was also the first time that heard appreciation regarding Esad Toptani’s legacy. It seemed that, despite Toptani’s constant sabotaging of Albania’s independence and statehood, he was considered a more important historic character than the man who murdered him, Avni Rustemi.

While this is not the topic of this article, I must say that I was already used to this kind of criticism that left aside all emotions, focusing only on logic and personal interests. That day for the first time I had to defend my position, which I intend to repeat now, scandalized as I am by the current noise against Avni Rustemi’s legacy.

Anyone watching the so-called documentary “The chronology of a paid murder” must have been disgusted by some of the theses that it defends. The documentary is a chaotic mixture of several historical facts, such as Rustemi’s innocence by the French Court and the fact that he was paid 5000 Liras for his trip to Paris where he was to murder Esad Toptani. Furthermore, it is also mentioned that Ahmet Zogu, Minister of Interior at the time had ordered a ceremony to honour Avni Rustemi upon his return to Albania.

The documentary reaches its peak when it states that upon his return, Rustemi returned the money to his lenders. I would not be surprised if it claimed that the murder made him a millionaire.  What kind of journalism is this, if not a perverted abuse of the freedom of speech, which allows us to question some of the most brilliant figures of our nation?

Now, why am I taking Avni Rustemi’s side in the chaos created by certain adventurous journalists in Tirana? Is it because I want to defend one of my artistic engagements? This would be enough of a reason on its own, but I have to confess that my love for Avni Rustemi dates several years back. I was seven years old when I used to hear my mother singing Avni Rustemi’s song as she did the chores. After many questions, she would explain to me who the man mentioned in the song was.

Forty years later, while preparing to write a play for Avni Rustemi and his triumph, I had the opportunity to consult essays and notes written by him during his studies in Italy.  I was able to consult archival notes from his trial in France and with my coworkers managed to include these in our play. However, it was obvious to us that, despite Rustemi’s many notes and essays, he had never written anything about women! It seemed that he had really dedicated himself only to love his country.

I have to admit that we must be held accountable if our dedication to the heroes is honest or if we are merely obeying to dictators when we create. The answer is a simple no. If I had not studied the historical evidence, my play would then rely on partial opinions. However, there is no better judgement regarding the truth of the matter than the fact that, historical figures shared the same view as my mother when it came to Avni Rustemi. It is important to add here the ruling of the French court that reinstated his innocence.

How can we treat the historic figure of Avni Rustemi as if he were a random hit man, like the many we see in the news on a daily basis? Ridiculous would be too weak of a word for these kind of theses. If anything, they are seriously shameful.