Ivan Stambolić: Anniversary of the former Serbian President's kidnapping and murder

Today marks the anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of Ivan Stambolić, the former President of the Presidency of Serbia. Stambolić, once a close associate of Slobodan Milošević before becoming one of his most prominent critics, was abducted in late 2000 and his body was discovered on Fruška Gora in March 2003.

Investigations revealed that members of the Special Operations Unit (JSO) carried out the abduction. In 2007, the Supreme Court of Serbia upheld maximum prison sentences for Milorad Ulemek (Legija) and Branko Berček. The court proceedings notably identified Slobodan Milošević as the individual who ordered the execution of Stambolić and the attempted assassination of Vuk Drašković.