Martyred for Democracy – December 15, 1950
Memorial page published by Shoqata Lazarati Michigan
Part of the historical and cultural archive of Lazarati.org
Overview
Veliko Selimi, Jonuz Boci, and Omar Çela were sons of Lazarat. They were martyrs of democracy. The communist regime of Albania executed them on December 15, 1950.
Together with Memo Raku of Golem, they were unjustly accused, tortured, and sentenced after a staged trial. Then, executed by firing squad at Qafa e Taroninës.
Their sacrifice stands as a powerful testimony to resistance against dictatorship and devotion to freedom, dignity, and democratic ideals.
Martyrs of Democracy from Lazarat
On December 15, the community of Lazarat remembers with pain and pride these three men. They did not fight against their country. They fought against a regime that oppressed it.
Facing death, their final words reflected extraordinary courage and clarity of purpose:
- Jonuz Boci:
“We planted the seed; the youth will harvest it.” - Veliko Selimi:
“Long live Albania!” - Omar Çela:
“Long live freedom!”
These words stay etched in the collective memory of Lazarat as symbols of moral resistance and faith in future generations.
Execution and Persecution
After their execution, their families endured decades of persecution, discrimination, and silence imposed by the dictatorship. Their suffering was shared by many families in Lazarat and across Albania whose loved ones were erased from public memory.
Only after the fall of communism did the truth begin to emerge.
Restoration of Dignity and Recognition
In 1993, Veliko Selimi, Jonuz Boci, and Omar Çela were reburied with honor in the village cemetery of Lazarat. This act restored to them the dignity denied in life and death.
In 2017, the President of the Republic of Albania formally honored them with the title:
“Martyrs of Democracy”
This recognition sealed their place in Albania’s historical truth and national conscience.
Legacy
Veliko Selimi, Jonuz Boci, and Omar Çela are remembered as:
- martyrs of freedom,
- symbols of democratic resistance,
- and enduring examples of courage in the face of oppression.
Their lives and deaths continue to be an inseparable part of Lazarat’s historical identity and moral heritage.
In Remembrance
Today, December 15, we bow with respect before their memory.
Eternal glory to the sons of Lazarat.