photographed in front of his house in Mamurras

Born in 1942 in Baz, Mat, Mhill Gjinaj suffered the consequences of his father‘s escape abroad. His father, a former officer of King Zog and an anti-communist, had fled Albania.
Mhill was first arrested on November 28, 1958, while attending the Pedagogical High School in Tirana. He expressed opposition to Albania’s participation in the Warsaw Pact and the establishment of Soviet military bases in the country. The Tirana Military Court, with decision no. 9 dated March 11, 1960, found him guilty of attempting to escape the country and sentenced him to 4 years in prison, of which he served only 2 due to his young age. He was released on November 28, 1961.

In 1964, Mhill was arrested again, this time accused of distributing writings with hostile content. A year later, in 1965, he received an additional 10-year sentence for attempting to escape from prison. In total, he served 15 years in prison, including 7 years in the infamous Burrel prison.

After 1990, Mhill served as the Secretary General of the National Association of Former Political Prisoners and was also a member of the Municipal Council in Mamurras. He has written several important books reflecting on the period of his imprisonment.

He passed away during the preparation of this exhibition, on January 20, 2025.