Serbia guards murder case: Families demand new investigation

On the 22nd anniversary of the deaths of Serbian and Montenegrin Army guards Dragan Jakovljević and Dražen Milovanović, their families and legal representatives are demanding accountability from Supreme Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac.

The families' lawyers, Olgica Batić and Predrag Savić, issued an open letter questioning who has been appointed to investigate the deaths at the ‘Karaš’ military facility in Topčider. This demand follows a September 2025 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Serbia violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights due to inadequate investigations into the deaths.

While the European Court ordered Serbia to ensure an effective official investigation and mandated compensation for the families, legal representatives claim that no significant new investigative actions have been taken since the ruling. They are seeking confirmation on whether an order has been issued to investigate unknown persons for the murders. Previous findings from an independent state commission and FBI forensic analysis suggested the guards were killed by a third party, contradicting earlier military claims of murder and suicide.