BELGRADE – Four Ex-Members of Serbian Intelligence Agency have been sentenced for the murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija by the Belgrade Court. Former chiefs of Serbian Intelligence Agency and Intelligence Agency Belgrade Department, during Milošević’s regime, were sentenced for 30 years, while two other low-level officials were sentenced for 20 years. Due to the fact that this is the first-instance verdict they all have the right of appealing against it before the Appellate court.
Furthermore, this is the first sentence for a murder of a journalist in Serbia which came exactly 20 years after the murder was committed. The significance of the case has been recognized both by the European Commission in its 2018 report on Serbia and Action plan for Chapter 23. Both documents underline that journalists should be protected from the acts of intimidation and violence through efficient investigations and sanctions.