Ten years since murder of journalist

Ten years ago to the day Serbian journalist and publisher Slavko Curuvija was shot and killed in Belgrade. He was killed on Orthodox Easter 1999. The perpetrators, and those who ordered the killing, remain unidentified. Ten years since murder of journalist Representatives of the country's journalist associations UNS and NUNS will mark the day as they visit the site of Curuvija's murder. The two association's members will also carry a banner reading "Find the killers of journalists", and will stop traffic in Svetogorska St. for several minutes, in protest of the fact that the judiciary has not managed to find out who killed Curuvija even ten years after the crime. UNS reminds that authorities on several occasions publicly promised to solve the case, but that this did not materialize. NUNS president Nadezda Gace told B92 that "there is no doubt the murder has political background", which she believes is what is hampering the investigation. Gace adds that the state has material evidence, "and only has to come clean. Possibly, after October 5 [2000] some people wished to erase traces, but not all have been erased." The Curuvija family lawyer Rajko Danilovic believes that the prosecution has information that could lead to an indictment in the case, but that "the political will is still missing in the country". Danilovic reminded that he had filed criminal complaints in connection to the case against Slobodan Milosevic's widow Mirjana, former Belgrade state security DB chief Milan Radonjic and one of his operatives Ratko Romic, but that both the case and the complaint "are in the prosecutor's drawer". The Special Court has, in the meantime, conducted investigative action on the orders of the prosecution, but the case moved no further than witness hearings. Curuvija was shot 17 times. A memorial plaque has been placed at the scene of the murder saying that he was killed "because of strong and critical words". Belgrade media reported that one witness of the murder identified Luka Pejovic as the shooter. Pejovic was a member of DB's Special Operations Unit (JSO), and was himself killed in December 2000.

Ten years since murder of journalist

Representatives of the country's journalist associations UNS and NUNS will mark the day as they visit the site of Ćuruvija's murder.

The two association's members will also carry a banner reading "Find the killers of journalists", and will stop traffic in Svetogorska St. for several minutes, in protest of the fact that the judiciary has not managed to find out who killed Ćuruvija even ten years after the crime.

UNS reminds that authorities on several occasions publicly promised to solve the case, but that this did not materialize.

NUNS president Nadežda Gaće told B92 that "there is no doubt the murder has political background", which she believes is what is hampering the investigation.

Gaće adds that the state has material evidence, "and only has to come clean. Possibly, after October 5 [2000] some people wished to erase traces, but not all have been erased."

The Ćuruvija family lawyer Rajko Danilović believes that the prosecution has information that could lead to an indictment in the case, but that "the political will is still missing in the country".

Danilović reminded that he had filed criminal complaints in connection to the case against Slobodan Milošević's widow Mirjana, former Belgrade state security DB chief Milan Radonjić and one of his operatives Ratko Romić, but that both the case and the complaint "are in the prosecutor's drawer".

The Special Court has, in the meantime, conducted investigative action on the orders of the prosecution, but the case moved no further than witness hearings.

Ćuruvija was shot 17 times. A memorial plaque has been placed at the scene of the murder saying that he was killed "because of strong and critical words".

Belgrade media reported that one witness of the murder identified Luka Pejović as the shooter. Pejović was a member of DB's Special Operations Unit (JSO), and was himself killed in December 2000.