After 25 years of proceedings, Serbian justice acquitted, yesterday, Friday February 2, four former members of the secret services from the Milosevic era of the assassination of Slavko Curuvija, an opposition journalist, shot thirteen times in front of his home in Belgrade on April 11, 1999.
2 mins
Founder of two opposition media, Slavko Curuvija was a journalist targeted by the dictator’s power in 1999 Slobodan Milosevicwrites our correspondent in the Balkans, Laurent Rouy. During the Kosovo War, while the Serbia was bombarded by NATO, Curuvija had been murdered by thirteen bullets in front of his wife. A few days before his assassination, pro-government media had described the 49-year-old journalist as “ traitor » and accused him of being for the bombing campaign led by the Atlantic Alliance. At the time, murders of opponents were frequent and the secret services were immediately suspected.
Fifteen years before the opening of a first trial
After the fall of Milosevic in 2000, an investigation established the responsibility of four secret agents but it was necessary to wait fifteen years for the opening of a first trial. The legal saga ended on Friday February 2 with the acquittal of the four suspects, one of whom remains in prison where he is serving a forty-year sentence for murder, two were released after five years of imprisonment and a fourth , on the run, had never been arrested. Serbian journalists’ associations are unanimous in denouncing the judges’ decision, as are the OSCE and the United States.
“ A very clear signal »
So ” a sad day for journalism », Reacted the American ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill on X (formerly Twitter). This decision “ is terribly disturbing for the family, friends, colleagues and admirers of this journalist killed because he publicly criticized the regime of Slobodan Milosevic », Reacted on X the Slavko Curuvija fund. “ This is a very clear signal that the state is not capable of confronting the darker side of its secret services from the 1990s and that they still have enormous influence on Serbian justice and political life. », added the fund. “ I am shocked by this scandalous verdict », Finally reacted the daughter of the journalist killed to the N1 information site: “ This is proof that the dark forces of the 1990s still govern this country “. In 2023, Serbia was 91st out of 180 in the world rankings. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on press freedom.
Read alsoSerbia: “The legislative elections were neither democratic nor fair”