“Didi” Biçaku hails from a well known family from Elbasan. In her youth, she trained as a teacher, but after three years of work, she lost her post and was forced to work first as a bricklayer, and then as a seamstress. Despite these challenges, she excelled as a master craftswoman in each field.

In February 1951, along with over 200 others, she was arrested and detained on baseless charges, caught up in a politically motivated state crackdown. Three days later, 22 out of the people who were detained, were executed without trial. The sole woman among them, Sabiha Kasimati, a scientist, had been Didi’s former primary school teacher. Didi was the last civilian to see the group alive. She was detained without charge for five months, having never taken part in any subversive activity against the state. Throughout the years, she has continued to speak out about her experiences. To this day, she still does not understand the reason for her arrest.

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