Crime in Serbia

Former Serbian State Security Unit for Special Operations, commander Milorad "Legija" Ulemek, refused to answer questions about the murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Curuvija at the Belgrade Court of Appeal.

Legija told the court that he stands by his 2014 statement from the investigation and his 2016 statement from the first trial.

He has also said that he favours early release from prison for Milorad 'Legija' Ulemek and Zvezdan Jovanovic, who are serving sentences for the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic in 2003. He said that they should be freed because "they are heroes" who fought on behalf of Serbs.

In a final ruling that was made public on Monday, Belgrade Appeals Court cleared Milorad 'Legija' Ulemek and six other former members of the Special Operations Unit, JSO of involvement in a rebellion in November 2001 against the Serbian government led by Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

Investigative website Insajder is reporting, citing other media, that Kurak had been living and working for years in Tanzania.

The Interior Ministry (MUP) told Insajder that they sent a request to locate and arrest Kurak to the General Secretariat of Interpol, as well as their offices in Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Five members of a crime group suspected of trafficking cocaine have been arrested in Prague and Novi Sad.

This was a joint operation of the Serbian Interior Ministry (MP) and security agency BIA, and the Czech police and prosecution, the MUP announced on Friday.

BELGRADE - Serbia should open Chapter 23 of the accession talks with the EU, which refers to the judiciary and battle against corruption, among the first chapters, the participants of a meeting on ways to fight corruption, which was organised by Transparency Serbia, have concluded.

Accusations seen as "strike to heart of police"

BELGRADE -- "A strike to the heart of the criminal police" is how Mile Novaković has described the accusations made during his trial by accused crime boss Darko Šarić.

Indictment raised in Ćuruvija case

BELGRADE -- The indictment for the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija has been raised 15 years after the journalist and publisher was shot and killed outside his home in Belgrade.

The accused are former members of the State Security (DB) Radomir Marković, Milan Radonjić, Ratko Romić, and Miroslav Kurak.

SARAJEVO - European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur on Serbia Jelko Kacin has voiced expectation that it will be revealed who ordered the assassination of Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic as the Serbian leadership have the political will for that.

Minister: Readiness to solve political background

BELGRADE -- Minister of Justice Nikola Selaković says Serbia is "absolutely ready to reveal the political background of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić."