Đinđić family lawyers repeat accusations

Srdja Popovic and Rajko Danilovic say they are unhappy over "a cover up of the background" of the Djindjic assassination. The pair of lawyers, acting on behalf of the late Zoran Djindjic's family, say that the current government is to blame for this. Djindjic family lawyers repeat accusations Although at the end of July, then Special Prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic officially announced an investigation into the background of the assassination that shook Serbia, no results have been made public so far. Djindjic, the Democratic Party (DS) leader and Serbian prime minister, was shot and killed in front of the government headquarters in Belgrade on March 12, 2003. In May this year, a former state security (DB) employee and commander of its Special Operations Unit (JSO) Milorad Ulemek, a.k.a. Legija, was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Another JSO officer, Zvezdan Jovanovic, received the same sentence after he was announced guilty of firing the deadly sniper bullets. But the political background, which the lawyers say motivated direct organizers and executioners of the crime, remains unclear. Popovic told Novi Sad's Gradjanski List today that the investigation was "only a show for the public", and added he did not believe that the circumstances leading to the assassination will be revealed any time soon, but expressed hope that "some day, under different political circumstances", this will happen. "To be specific, I think that the truth would be known if the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) exited the governing institutions," Popovic said. According to him, the investigation so far set as its goals only to demonstrate, for those who support the ruling parties, that something was being done, "but it is far from any real investigation". "They arrested poor prosecutor Rade Terzic, who is innocent before God, as if this constituted for an investigation into the assassination background." "That is the explanation of the background advocated by [Kostunica adviser] Dejan Mihajlov," Popovic said, and added that "the whole story was moving in the direction" of proving that Cedomir Jovanovic killed Djindjic, which, according to Popovic, "simply will not come to pass". Terzic was arrested last summer on suspicion that he helped illegally release members of the criminal Zemun Gang from jail in 2001. They were imprisoned for the kidnapping earlier that year of Delta Holding owner Miroslav Miskovic. They took part in the assassination two years later. But Rajko Danilovic also believes that some people, as he put it, were unwilling to let "the real truth come out". "These people make up the current coalition, so in order to prevent an investigation, things are being hushed up. It's simple," he claims. Popovic asked in March this year to have Vojislav Kostunica, Rade Bulatovic, Aco Tomic, Dragan Jocic, Aleksandar Simovic, Borislav Mikelic, Miroslav Milosevic and Vladimir Bozovic all interviewed in the case. Bu the panel of judges presiding over the Djindjic trial rejected the demand.

Đinđić family lawyers repeat accusations

Although at the end of July, then Special Prosecutor Slobodan Radovanović officially announced an investigation into the background of the assassination that shook Serbia, no results have been made public so far.

Đinđić, the Democratic Party (DS) leader and Serbian prime minister, was shot and killed in front of the government headquarters in Belgrade on March 12, 2003.

In May this year, a former state security (DB) employee and commander of its Special Operations Unit (JSO) Milorad Ulemek, a.k.a. Legija, was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Another JSO officer, Zvezdan Jovanović, received the same sentence after he was announced guilty of firing the deadly sniper bullets.

But the political background, which the lawyers say motivated direct organizers and executioners of the crime, remains unclear.

Popović told Novi Sad's Građanski List today that the investigation was "only a show for the public", and added he did not believe that the circumstances leading to the assassination will be revealed any time soon, but expressed hope that "some day, under different political circumstances", this will happen.

"To be specific, I think that the truth would be known if the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) exited the governing institutions," Popović said.

According to him, the investigation so far set as its goals only to demonstrate, for those who support the ruling parties, that something was being done, "but it is far from any real investigation".

"They arrested poor prosecutor Rade Terzić, who is innocent before God, as if this constituted for an investigation into the assassination background."

"That is the explanation of the background advocated by [Koštunica adviser] Dejan Mihajlov," Popović said, and added that "the whole story was moving in the direction" of proving that Čedomir Jovanović killed Đinđić, which, according to Popović, "simply will not come to pass".

Terzić was arrested last summer on suspicion that he helped illegally release members of the criminal Zemun Gang from jail in 2001. They were imprisoned for the kidnapping earlier that year of Delta Holding owner Miroslav Mišković. They took part in the assassination two years later.

But Rajko Danilović also believes that some people, as he put it, were unwilling to let "the real truth come out".

"These people make up the current coalition, so in order to prevent an investigation, things are being hushed up. It's simple," he claims.

Popović asked in March this year to have Vojislav Koštunica, Rade Bulatović, Aco Tomić, Dragan Jočić, Aleksandar Simović, Borislav Mikelić, Miroslav Milošević and Vladimir Božović all interviewed in the case.

Bu the panel of judges presiding over the Đinđić trial rejected the demand.