Remains of Communist leader 'found'

Centre of the Albanian capital Tirana

By our Central Europe reporter Nick Thorpe

In Albania, the remains of a leading politician from the Communist period are reported to have been found, 20 years after his alleged suicide.

Mehmet Shehu was prime minister of Albania from 1953 until 1981.

After his death in December 1981 he was declared an enemy of the people and his widow and two sons were imprisoned.

According to his youngest son, Bashkim, the former prime minister's remains have been discovered on waste ground near the Albanian capital, Tirana.

If confirmed, this will mean the end of a 10-year search for his father's grave since his own release from prison in 1991.

Partisan

Mehmet Shehu was a well-known Albanian communist who fought in both the Spanish civil war and in the partisan movement in the Second World War.

Huge statue to Enver Hoxha

A right-hand man of the Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha, he was found dead in December 1981.

According to the official version he committed suicide, but rumours also circulated that he had been killed on the dictator's orders for opposing his isolationist policies.

'Double agent'

In death he was condemned as an agent of both the Yugoslav secret services and the CIA.

In his 1982 book, "The Titoites", Enver Hoxha devoted several chapters to a denunciation of his former ally.

Mehmet Shehu's widow and two sons were imprisoned after his death.

Under Mr Hoxha, Albania became the most Stalinist country in Europe, where even religion was banned.

Mr Hoxha himself died in 1985 and his successors gradually allowed the country to open to the outside world.

The first multi-party elections were held in 1991.