IPI: Justice for Slavko Ćuruvija remains elusive despite the Supreme Court's conviction.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the Court of Appeals in Belgrade from 2024, which overturned the convictions of four men previously found guilty of involvement in the murder of Ćuruvija, was made despite significant violations of criminal procedure provisions.

The Supreme Court determined that key evidence provided by witnesses in the trial for the murder of Ćuruvija was not properly considered prior to the issuance of the new ruling, which, according to the court, worked in favor of the defendants.

This decision partially accepted the request of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office to review the ruling. Although the Supreme Court made this decision back in October 2025, it was published in Serbia and became publicly known only this week.

“While this decision calls into question certain elements of the Court of Appeals' ruling, the IPI emphasizes that it does not annul or modify the final ruling issued at the last instance of the proceedings, which remains definitive. The result is that the murder case, 27 years later, remains in a state of complete impunity,” states the IPI announcement.

Ćuruvija, a prominent editor and publisher, was shot dead in front of his home in Belgrade in 1999. In the days leading up to his murder in broad daylight, members of the State Security monitored him, the IPI recalls.

Twenty years later, four former members of the state security were sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison for the murder. The retrial in 2021 confirmed the convictions. However, in February 2024, the Court of Appeals in Belgrade changed its stance and acquitted the defendants of the murder charges.

At that time, the IPI stated that the annulment of the convictions represented a devastating failure of the rule of law and dealt a severe blow to media freedom and the fight against impunity for the murders of journalists in Serbia.

“The latest decision of the Supreme Court further highlights the serious shortcomings of the criminal justice system in this case, which need to be addressed. This decision also partially strengthens the legal position of the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, which was sued for defamation by two of the four acquitted former security members, claiming that their honor and reputation were harmed by the foundation’s statements regarding the annulment of the convictions. Twenty-seven years have passed since the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija. The IPI remains committed to the fight for justice and expresses its ongoing solidarity with the family of Slavko Ćuruvija,” emphasizes the IPI.