13 years since the assassination of Zoran Đinđić

The first democratically elected Prime Minister of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party, Dr. Zoran Đinđić, was assassinated 13 years ago at the entrance to the Serbian Government building.

Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated on March 12, 2003, around 12:25 PM. The Serbian Government declared a state of emergency a few hours after the assassination.

Members of the Zemun criminal clan were immediately suspected as perpetrators. This was also confirmed by the fact that, as the Government later announced, an order was planned to be signed that day for the arrest of a number of members of that criminal group, Belgrade's B92 reminds, Patria reports. 

During the state of emergency, which lasted until April 22, 11,665 people were arrested in the police operation "Sablja", including party officials, high-ranking military officers, judicial officials, and entertainment stars, some of whom spent time in custody.

The former commander of the disbanded Special Operations Unit (JSO), Milorad Ulemek Legija, and Zemun clan members Dušan Spasojević Šiptar and Mile Luković Kum, were suspected of organizing the prime minister's assassination. Kum and Šiptar were killed on March 27 during an attempt by the police to arrest them. 

In August 2003, an indictment was filed against 44 people for participation in the organization of the assassination, and the trial began on December 22, 2003, in the District Court in Belgrade. On May 23, 2007, they were found guilty and sentenced to a total of 378 years in prison. 

The explanation of the verdict stated, among other things, that the assassination of Zoran Đinđić was a political assassination.

The political background of Zoran Đinđić's assassination has not yet been revealed.

Đinđić was one of the leaders of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) and the "October 5th" revolution, which overthrew Slobodan Milošević from power. DOS had previously defeated Milošević in both federal and republican elections. However, the victory had to be achieved on the streets.

He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party and the president of its Executive Board. He became the president of the DS in January 1994 and remained the party leader until his death. 

In January 1997, he was elected mayor of Belgrade from the "Zajedno" coalition. At the request of SPO, then a coalition partner, he was removed from that position seven months later. He was the first non-communist mayor of Belgrade since 1945. 

According to the assessment of the American weekly "Time", Đinđić was one of the 14 leading European politicians of the third millennium. 

Zoran Đinđić was born on August 1, 1952, in Bosanski Šamac, writes Patria.