photographed on a rooftop in Tirana

Born on August 15, 1948, in Tirana, Rajmond Sejko faced persecution early in life. His father, Teme Sejko, commander of the Albanian Naval Fleet, was arrested after Albania’s break with the Soviet Union and executed on the false charge of organizing a coup d‘état. Following his father‘s death, Rajmond, along with his mother and brother, was interned and later exiled to Berat. After working in construction, he was sent to Burrel for military service.

In 1974, at age 24, his brother was falsely accused and sentenced to death. This loss devastated their mother, who committed suicide on February 21, 1975. Rajmond was arrested the same day under Article 73/1 of the Penal Code. On May 27, 1975, the People‘s Court of Berat sentenced him to 8 years in prison and revoked his electoral rights for 5 years. He served his sentence in Spaç prison and was later interned in Kutalli, working in agriculture. In 1988, his internment was extended by 5 years, and in 1989 he was accused of “agitation and propaganda.”

Rajmond served a total time of 7 years, 7 months and 28 days in prison. He was released on December 29, 1989, and later moved to Tirana. Despite his efforts, he never found the remains of his father and brother. Today, Rajmond lives in the USA.