photographed at a public place in Tirana

Born on January 16, 1949, in Muçias, Lushnja, Bedri Çoku experienced the hardships of communist imprisonment at a young age. On August 27, 1969, while serving mandatory military duty in Gjirokastër, he was arrested and sentenced to 7 years in prison for “agitation and propaganda.”

Together with his two brothers and father, Bedri’s family endured nearly 64 years of imprisonment across various camps and prisons, including Burrel, Spaç, Qafë-Bari, and other labor camps scattered throughout Albania.

In 1973, during the Spaç Prison Revolt, Bedri was one of the key figures who raised the Albanian national flag without the communist star. Following the revolt, the Mirdita Court sentenced him to an additional 23 years in prison. He was released in February 1991, after the fall of the regime. Bedri Çoku served a total of 22 years, 1 month, and 28 days in prison.

After the regime‘s collapse, Bedri held various state positions, including serving as the first director of camps and prisons in democratic Albania. He has shared his prison experiences through books and articles published in the press.