photographed in the Museum „Site of Witness and Memory“, Shkodra

Born in 1939 in Shkodër, Ndrek Bazhdari was a promising young violinist before becoming a victim of political persecution. His ordeal began following the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. At the time, Ndrek was a state-sponsored student in Tirana. Together with a group of friends, he formed an organization aimed at spreading the revolutionary ideas of the Hungarian Uprising by distributing leaflets they wrote themselves.

The leaflets called on Albanian youth and the working class to stand in solidarity with the Hungarian Revolution, claiming it was time to deliver the final blow to Stalinism. This activity caught the attention of the regime’s authorities, and Ndrek was arrested on April 21, 1957, Easter Sunday, for “hostile activity.” He was just 17 years old.

After months of harsh interrogation and detention, the Tirana Military Court found him guilty and, on August 6, 1957, sentenced him to 14 years in prison and confiscation of his property. Ndrek was released on March 9, 1964, after serving 7 years, 4 months, and 13 days in prison.