TIRANA, November 29 – Despite the fact that it sparked a lot of debate and caused a lot of commotion a year ago, this year too, the American embassy has congratulated Albanians on the occasion of November 29.
“This occasion serves as a reminder of the sacrifices of the Albanian people and as an opportunity to celebrate a glorious moment in Albanian history. Happy Liberation Day, Albania!” the post attached to the photo of the flag read.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Yuri Kim herself went to pay her respects at the National Martyrs’ Cemetery, at a time when tributes were being paid there by the nostalgic communists.
In a similar case a year ago, the former journalist of VOA, the official organ of DASH, historian Ilir Ikonomi reacted strongly to the congratulations of the American Embassy on November 29. In his comment on the embassy’s Facebook page, Ikonomi said that the so-called Liberation Day was never congratulated by the predecessors of Ambassador Juri Kim.
Ikonomi demanded that the American embassy apologizes to all those who suffered from communist repression in Albania.
Much tougher was Frank Shkreli, VOA’s former EuroAsia director, who told Kim that she had not said a word in defense of the freedom and rights of hundreds of thousands of Albanians affected by communist crimes. He wanted an explanation from her when American policy regarding “Liberation Day” in Albania has changed.
“I don’t know who pushed you to make such “solo” decisions. You have crossed many red lines until now, but this congratulations on your part, a personal decision as it seems, is a very serious insult to all freedom lovers, but especially to the persecuted of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime, one of the most criminal regimes of the world,” said Shkreli. /Argumentum.al
