11. 04. 2011

12 years since murder of journalist

Belgrade, April 11, 2011 (B92) - Today marks 12 years since journalist and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija was shot and killed in Belgrade.

The authorities are yet to discover who ordered and executed the murder.

The killer or killers of the owner of Dnevni Telegraf and Evropljanin magazines fired 17 bullets and killed him at the entrance to his apartment building on April 11, 1999.

The murder came as NATO was attacking Serbia. Then daily Politika Express ran an article accusing him of "calling for bombs" and of "treason", five days earlier.

Ćuruvija's friends, colleagues and family believe that his killing had a political background, due to the strong words and criticism he expressed toward the regime of Sobodan Milošević.

There was speculation that Milošević's wife Mirjana Marković was suspected of ordering the hit, as well as former state security agency (DB) head Radomir Marković and Belgrade branch head Milan Radonjić. Mirjana Marković is currently in Russia and out of reach of Serbia's justice.

First concrete steps in solving the murder were taken in 2006 when the Special Prosecution for Organized Crime sent an order to conduct an investigation to courts.

Thus far some 100 witnesses have been questioned, among them former interior ministry employees, citizens and journalists.

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) issued a statement to mark the anniversary and called on the government, police and judiciary to complete their investigation, name and punish those responsible for the crime, and in that way distance themselves from a criminal regime that punished those who disagreed with it with death.