“Political background of PM’s murder will be revealed”

Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic has stated that she will not give up on finding the truth about political background of PM Zoran Djindjic's murder. She pointed out that mistakes which happened in 2006 would not be allowed to happen again. “Political background of PM’s murder will be revealed” “To avoid all misunderstandings, this is about the fact that the main accused and the organizer were received by then interior minister upon surrendering and there is an official note about it,“ the justice minister said. She is convinced that the Special Prosecution for Organized Crime will complete the proceeding and that no influence or obstruction will be able to interfere with the investigation. “We owe it to our future to determine all the facts about mutiny and political background of the assassination so we wouldn't be burdened by unexplained circumstances from the past,“ Malovic pointed out. She also stressed that both the political background and mutiny of the Special Operations Unit (JSO; Red Berets) needed to be investigated for the sake of the lesson which we should learn from it. “Such criminal groups that can jeopardize functioning of the state and its citizens must never again be allowed to exist in Serbia and the society itself will assess the moves we made,“ the justice minister explained. Former JSO Commander Milorad Ulemek Legija was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the PM's murder, while members of the unit and some members of the Zemun gang, who took part in the assassination, got decades-long prison sentences. After hiding for more than a year, Ulemek surrendered himself to police on May 2, 2004 and was then taken to the office of then IM Dragan Jocic. The investigation into political background of Djindjic's murder was allegedly stopped by the prosecution in 2006, but Organized Crime Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljevic claims that the pre-trial proceeding is under way and that circumstances that led to the PM's murder will be investigated. Snezana Malovic (Tanjug)

“Political background of PM’s murder will be revealed”

“To avoid all misunderstandings, this is about the fact that the main accused and the organizer were received by then interior minister upon surrendering and there is an official note about it,“ the justice minister said.

She is convinced that the Special Prosecution for Organized Crime will complete the proceeding and that no influence or obstruction will be able to interfere with the investigation.

“We owe it to our future to determine all the facts about mutiny and political background of the assassination so we wouldn't be burdened by unexplained circumstances from the past,“ Malović pointed out.

She also stressed that both the political background and mutiny of the Special Operations Unit (JSO; Red Berets) needed to be investigated for the sake of the lesson which we should learn from it.

“Such criminal groups that can jeopardize functioning of the state and its citizens must never again be allowed to exist in Serbia and the society itself will assess the moves we made,“ the justice minister explained.

Former JSO Commander Milorad Ulemek Legija was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the PM's murder, while members of the unit and some members of the Zemun gang, who took part in the assassination, got decades-long prison sentences.

After hiding for more than a year, Ulemek surrendered himself to police on May 2, 2004 and was then taken to the office of then IM Dragan Jočić.

The investigation into political background of Đinđić's murder was allegedly stopped by the prosecution in 2006, but Organized Crime Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljević claims that the pre-trial proceeding is under way and that circumstances that led to the PM's murder will be investigated.