The event was attended by former victims of the communist regime and their family members or representatives, the European Union Ambassador Silvio Gonzato, the OSCE Ambassador Michel Tarran, researchers, local government officials, representatives of religious communities, civil society, and others.

In her address, Spiropali paid tribute to those who went missing during a dark chapter of history, a period that still calls for clarity, justice, and responsibility.

“August 30 marks the International Day of the Disappeared, a date that for our country is more than just a calendar marking—it is a call for remembrance and reflection. Modern civilization commemorates the countless human lives and shattered destinies worldwide about whom nothing is known,” Spiropali remarked.

She stated, “Nowhere else but Shkodër could this ceremony hold such significance, in this community of anti-communist resistance, which endured the regime’s reprisals against its opponents more than any other city in Albania.”

“In particular, Shkodër is the place where this call resonates most strongly—a city that became a symbol of persecution, yet also of resistance, suffering, and an unyielding civic and cultural identity. Clergy who were arrested and executed with unmarked graves, intellectuals and workers, young men and women killed at the border—these are the victims who demand and deserve respect, remembrance, and justice,” Spiropali stated.

Spiropali highlighted that the commemorative ceremony serves both as a gesture of remembrance and a call for justice. “It is never too late to seek justice, a fundamental duty of our collective conscience,” she stated.

She added, “This symposium goes beyond honoring the victims; it is an act of dealing with the past—an act that concerns the entire society, free from distinctions or political and ideological agendas. Without this confrontation and shared awareness, building a just and healthy society is impossible.”

Spiropali emphasized that the Parliament has an obligation to strengthen the legal and oversight framework to enable a deeper and more transparent approach to the past.

“Let us strive to ensure that memory is not merely a symbolic act, but an integral part of our education, history, and culture. Let us learn to speak about the past responsibly—not to divide, but to understand; not to manipulate, but to build; not for political gain, but for principled governance,” she stressed.

“Albania cannot have a bright future without honestly reflecting on its past. We owe it not only to those who are no longer with us, but also to the generations to come. The past belongs to all of us—as history, as memory, and as responsibility,” she emphasized.

/sm/