Montenegro Makes Zoran Djindjic a Star

Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic on Tuesday gave Serbia's late Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, the country's highest honour for improving relations between Serbia and Montenegro during his term in offce.

The prestigious award was handed to his widow, Ruzica Djindjic, at a ceremony held in Belgrade. Vujanovic called Djindjic a lighthouse of democracy in Serbia and its great star.

He said Montenegro had decided to honored Djundjic in this on behalf of all those who cared about good relations between Serbia and Montenegro. "He is in the hearts of all those who love Serbia and Montenegro," Vujanovic said.

The Order of the Montenegrin Great Star is given to those who make an outstanding contribution towards promoting the country. A handful of foreign officials have received the award since Montenegro become an independent state once again in 2006.

Djindic, who was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2003, was shot dead in Belgrade on March 11, 2003.  

Following the assassination, Serbia declared a state of emergency and launched a massive police operation, codenamed Sablja, during which more than 11,000 people were arrested.

At a trial that ended in 2007, the Special Court for Organised Crime sentenced 12 men to a total of 378 years in prison for the murder.

Milorad Ulemek "Legija", former commander of the Special Operations Unit, JSO, was found guilty of organizing the group that conspired to kill him and was sentenced to 40 years in jail.

Zvezdan Jovanovic, in active service in the unit at the time of the assassination, was found guilty of firing the shots that killed the Prime Minister. Both men are serving 40-year prison sentences.