photographed in his appartment in Shkodra

Born on April 12, 1940, in Korçë, Viktor Martini and his family endured severe persecution under the communist regime. His father, Zef Martini, a former officer under King Zog, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after the war. Together with his father, Viktor and his three brothers served a total of 104 years as political prisoners.

At the age of 16, Viktor was arrested on September 17, 1956, in Shkodër, accused of attempting to escape the country. On November 26, 1956, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. He was released on September 2, 1961, after serving 4 years, 11 months, and 16 days in Burrel Prison. Despite his status as a disabled person, Viktor was forced to work under extremely harsh conditions after his release.

The regime continued to persecute him, even preventing his wife from working as a teacher. Viktor was one of the organizers of the January 14, 1990, protest in Shkodër, where thousands of citizens gathered to topple Stalin‘s statue.

Through his book Dëshmoj (I Bear Witness) and numerous interviews with the press and television, Viktor has consistently denounced the crimes of the communist dictatorship. Since the early 1990s, Viktor and his wife have resided in Boston, USA.