photographed in his appartment in Vlorë

Born on March 14, 1933, in Vlorë, Luan Llupa came from a family exiled by the communist regime. He was arrested at the age of 17 on April 29, 1950, as a member of the “opposition group of students from the ‚Ali Demi‘ High School.”

Encouraged by a classmate, Llupa and two other students joined in expressing their dissatisfaction with the Party. The group wrote slogans criticizing the Party, the government, and the economy. Their activity lasted until April 1950 when authorities arrested them for “organized activity against the government.” Llupa was tortured during interrogation despite his young age.

On October 1, 1950, the Special Court sentenced him to three years in prison. He served his sentence in Vlora prison and was later sent to a labor camp for the construction of the Kuçova airfield. He was released in 1953.

In 1978, Llupa was interrogated by State Security, where he realized that he was under surveillance despite being working in a factory. In 1989, he was arrested again for “agitation and propaganda” and spent six months in isolation. He was sentenced to two years in prison but was released earlier due to political changes and a United Nations’call for the release of the political prisoners.