Pal Shtufi: Riza Salihu Passed On Suspicions About Jusuf Gërvalla to Me, but I Do Not Believe He Worked for the UDB

Pal Shtufi discussed his role in the underground Albanian movements and his relations with activists of that period in an interview for the “Files” series on the “Debat Plus” program.

Shtufi said his initial involvement in the movement began in 1979. A year later, in Stuttgart, he met activist Riza Salihu, who gave him his first instructions for organizing an underground group in Kosovo.

During that period, he said, he had also obtained propaganda materials, including “Zëri i Kosovës,” as well as tools used to write slogans.

Shtufi also spoke about meeting Jusuf Gërvalla, whom he had met at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

He said Gërvalla had impressed him with his broad knowledge and ability to communicate in several languages.

“Jusuf stood out in a positive way. He was more approachable, more knowledgeable. He spoke German fluently, English fluently and Serbian fluently,” Shtufi said.

Following that meeting, Shtufi said Riza Salihu had reacted harshly, describing Gërvalla as a “Titoist” and a “sellout.”

According to Shtufi, Salihu had clashed with Gërvalla. He cited as one cause of the conflict Salihu’s duplication of the key to Gërvalla’s post office box, which allowed him to collect correspondence addressed to the activist for a period of time.

“One of Jusuf’s sins, according to this Riza Salihu, was his contact with Emil Kastrioti, Emil Fazliu. He was a Balli Kombëtar member in Brussels. Riza considered these things a betrayal,” Shtufi said.

He explained that, from Salihu’s perspective, Gërvalla’s ties with people representing other political orientations amounted to betrayal, an attitude Shtufi linked to the Enverist mentality of the time.

According to Shtufi, Salihu was sentenced to one year in prison for duplicating the key and taking Gërvalla’s documents.

Over time, Shtufi said he began to reconsider the way Riza Salihu had portrayed other members of the underground movement as well.

“Riza constructed other people’s biographies in a very unfair way—not only Jusuf’s, but everyone else’s too,” he said.

The interview also addressed suspicions about Jusuf Gërvalla’s possible ties to the UDB. Shtufi acknowledged that he had learned of those suspicions from Riza Salihu.

“I know it from Riza Salihu. In other words, I had information that he was under suspicion, including in Albania. I got these things from him because I had absolutely no other source,” Shtufi said.

However, he added that his experience and the information he had gathered over the years had led him to view that claim with greater skepticism.

“I am much more inclined to believe what you are saying. Riza also constructed other people’s biographies in a very unfair way,” Shtufi said.

He stressed that, despite his criticism of Salihu’s conduct, he was not convinced that Salihu had served the UDB.

“I am still not convinced that Riza was in the service of the UDB, for example. I am not,” he said.

Shtufi also emphasized that he does not seek to adopt or represent other people’s versions of the history of that period.

“I will not become either Riza or Ibrahim Kelmendi. I respect each of them for what they have done in life, but I am myself,” Shtufi said.