Ceno Bey Kryeziu
| Ceno Bey Kryeziu | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister of Interior | |
|
In office 1 February 1925 – 23 September 1925 |
|
| Prime Minister | Ahmet Zogu |
| Preceded by | Ahmet Zogu |
| Succeeded by | Musa Juka |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1895 |
| Died | July 26, 1927 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Nationality | Albanian |
| Spouse(s) | Princess Nafijé Zogu |
| Children | Tati, Prince of Kosovo |
| Religion | Islam |
Ceno Bey Kryeziu (1895 - 1927) was an Albanian political figure in the 1910s-1920s. He was a member of the influential Kryeziu family from Yakova Kosovo, and was known as a trusted man of Yugoslavian authorities inside Albanian political circles.
Ceno Kryeziu was the son of Riza Bey Kryeziu, a well known leader in the Yakova region and activist of Albanian national movements of the early 20th century. During the First Balkan War, Ceno fought against Montenegrins, collaborated with Esat Toptani, and was vice prefect in Kruma. In 1915 he was arrested by the Austrians and imprisoned. Later, he would serve as a mayor in Gjakova due to his excellent relationship with the Yugoslavian authorities, not in synchrony with the rest of Kosovo Albanians. Things would change in 1922, when he married Nafije, sister of Ahmed Zogu, later to be proclaimed Zog I, King of Albania. During the June Revolution he left Albania. A special court in Tirana sentenced him to death on December 12, 1924 in absentia together with many other political figures. It was later converted to a life sentence. Kryeziu assisted Ahmed Zogu and others in their escape to Yugoslavia, and established connections between Zog and the Yugoslavian side. He was very useful for Ahmet Zogu due to his membership in Nikola Pašić's Radical Party and had a good relationship with Ljubomir Davidović. After the return of Zog in Albania, he was given the rank of a Colonel and put in charge of the Albanian army stationary in Shkodër, where he showed extreme diligence in persecuting and eliminating members of the former Democratic Opposition and people who contributed in the June Revolution. During this time he was a regular informant to the Yugoslavian secret services. Kryeziu was directly responsible for the assassination of Asllan Curri, Zija Dibra, and the Montenegrin nationalist and anti-Yugoslav Marko Raspopović. He is mentioned in the newspaper "Ora e Shqypnisë", to have stated to the Yugoslavians: You see, I kept my promise. I have captured and killed your enemy Marko Raspopović. I got rid of Gurakuqi, Curri, Dibra, for the sake of our peace and yours. In late 1925, he was elected Minister of Interior, resulting in him giving up Yugoslavian citizenship. In 1925 after his relations with the Yugoslavians were exposed due to the confrontation with the special emissary of Nikola Pašić in Tirana, Branko Lazarević, Zog suspected that he might be involved in a plot against him and exiled him to France, and later would call him back and delegate him as Ambassador to Belgrade. There were rumors circulating about the Yugoslavians having elected him as the most trusted man to replace Zog in Albania, due to Zog's affiliation with Italy and distancing from his Yugoslavian support.
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