# Acquittal in the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija Category: Elections, media and institutions Period: from Feb 2013 Outcome: Acquittal (as of 13 Oct 2025) Journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, a critic of Milošević's government, was murdered in 1999, while Aleksandar Vučić was information minister. The Higher Court twice sentenced four former members of the State Security Service to a combined 100 years in prison, but the Court of Appeal acquitted them in 2023. In 2025, the Supreme Court found that the acquittal had been handed down with a substantial violation of criminal procedure in the defendants' favour, but it remains in force. Criminal and disciplinary complaints have been filed against the judges on the panel, and those acquitted have sued the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, which a first-instance court has ordered to pay more than a million dinars. ## The murder and the investigation Journalist and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija, owner of Dnevni telegraf and Evropljanin and a critic of Milošević's government, was murdered in Belgrade on 11 April 1999. Aleksandar Vučić was information minister at the time. This page is not about the murder itself but about how the judiciary handled the case under the SNS government. Vučić announced the investigation in January 2014 as first deputy prime minister; four former State Security officers were indicted, and the trial began in June 2015. ## Convictions and acquittal The special department of the Higher Court twice convicted four former State Security officers at first instance, in 2019 and 2021: Radomir Marković and Milan Radonjić were sentenced to 30 years in prison each, and Ratko Romić and Miroslav Kurak to 20 years each. The Court of Appeal acquitted them in a ruling dated 19 April 2023, which was not published until February 2024, on the grounds that there was no evidence. ## The Supreme Court's finding On 13 October 2025, acting on a request from the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, the Supreme Court found that the final acquittal had been reached with a material violation of criminal procedure in favour of the defendants: contrary to the court records, the Court of Appeal had stated that key witnesses did not stand by their testimony, and its reasoning on the analysis of phone traffic was “completely unclear”. That finding cannot overturn the final judgment, so the acquittal remains in force; the Court of Appeal responded that “there are no grounds for further action”. ## Complaints against the judges In January 2026, lawyer Vladimir Todorić filed a criminal complaint with the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office against all five judges on the panel, claiming they had misrepresented the contents of the court record. Jelena Ćuruvija and the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation filed disciplinary complaints with the High Judicial Council against the three judges still in office, and Jelena Ćuruvija also asked the Constitutional Court to review the constitutionality of the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code that do not allow an appeal against such an acquittal. In November 2026, the media members of the Standing Working Group on the Safety of Journalists called on the prosecution and police to re-examine the case, and on the High Judicial Council to act urgently on the complaints against the judges. Ćuruvija's family is still seeking the truth about who killed him and who ordered the murder. ## Lawsuits against the Foundation The acquitted men sued the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation over a statement about the verdict, and in May 2026 the Second Basic Court ordered it at first instance to pay more than a million dinars. The Foundation has announced an appeal; journalists' associations call the lawsuit a SLAPP. ## Participants - [Slavko Ćuruvija](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/slavko-curuvija): Journalist, owner of “Dnevni telegraf” and “Evropljanin”; murdered in 1999, no one has been convicted by a final verdict (harmed) - [Aleksandar Vučić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vucic): As minister, he signed the law under which “Evropljanin” was fined, and in 2013 he promised to resign if the murder was not solved (commented on the case) - [Ana Brnabić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/ana-brnabic): She said she had expected a guilty verdict and that Vučić was the only one who had done anything (commented on the case) - [Veran Matić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/veran-matic): He said there had been no targeted search for Kurak, described the verdict as closer to an amnesty and called for the investigation to continue (oversight and the public) - [Rodoljub Šabić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/rodoljub-sabic): He said that not even the Supreme Court can overturn the ruling to acquit rather than convict, and that the outcome shows the state's powerlessness (oversight and the public) - [Court of Appeal in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/apelacioni-sud-beograd): It acquitted those charged with what the Supreme Court found to be a substantial procedural violation and with witness testimony reported in a way that contradicted the trial records (responsible) - [Higher Court in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/visi-sud-beograd): In 2019, at first instance, it sentenced Radomir Marković and Milan Radonjić to 30 years each and Ratko Romić and Miroslav Kurak to 20 years each, and did so again in the 2021 retrial (investigation and courts) - [Public Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/jtok): In 2014 its prosecutor announced the investigation together with Vučić, and at the trial the prosecution sought 40-year prison sentences for each defendant (investigation and courts) - [Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vrhovno-javno-tuzilastvo): It filed a request for the protection of legality; that remedy cannot overturn the acquittal (investigation and courts) - [Supreme Court](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vrhovni-sud): It found a substantial violation of procedure in favour of the defendants, but the acquittal remains in force (investigation and courts) - [European Court of Human Rights](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/esljp): It found that unjustifiably long detention had violated Radonjić's and Romić's rights under the Convention (investigation and courts) - [Second Basic Court in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/drugi-osnovni-sud-beograd): At first instance, it ordered the Foundation to pay damages to the acquitted men over a statement (investigation and courts) - [Judges' Association of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/drustvo-sudija-srbije): It said it was unacceptable to blame the judges and that the court rules on the evidence presented by the prosecution (commented on the case) - [Commission for Investigating the Murders of Journalists](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/komisija-ubistva-novinara): Set up in 2013 with Vučić's support; in 2026 it backed the disciplinary complaints against Court of Appeal judges (oversight and the public) - [Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/slavko-curuvija-fondacija): Sued over a statement about the verdict and ordered at first instance to pay more than a million dinars; filed disciplinary complaints against judges (harmed) - [Standing Working Group for the Safety of Journalists](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/stalna-radna-grupa-bezbednost-novinara): Its media component is calling on the prosecution and police to re-examine the Ćuruvija murder and on the High Judicial Council to act urgently on the complaints against the judges (oversight and the public) - [High Judicial Council](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/visoki-savet-sudstva): In January 2026 Jelena Ćuruvija and the Foundation filed complaints with its disciplinary prosecutor against three judges of the Court of Appeal (investigation and courts) - [Ljuba Milanović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/ljuba-milanovic): Says that in 2005 he told officers of the organised crime police (SBPOK) what he knew about the murder, and that the note went missing from the case file (commented on the case) - [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-beograd): In January 2026 lawyer Vladimir Todorić filed a criminal complaint with it against the five judges of a Court of Appeal panel (investigation and courts) - [Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ustavni-sud): Jelena Ćuruvija submitted to it an initiative to review the constitutionality of the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code that exclude an appeal against an acquittal (investigation and courts) - [Aleksandar Olenik](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-olenik): He sought disciplinary proceedings against the judges; three of the acquitted men sued him for damage to their honour and reputation (oversight and the public) ## Victims and others harmed - [Branka Prpa](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/branka-prpa): Partner of the murdered Slavko Ćuruvija - [Jelena Ćuruvija](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/jelena-curuvija): Daughter of the murdered Slavko Ćuruvija ## Sources - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Supreme Court of Serbia finds acquittal in Ćuruvija murder was issued with substantial violations of procedure](): 8 Jan 2026 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Third lawsuit by a man acquitted of the murder against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation](): 15 Jul 2024 - [N1: Šabić: Not even the Supreme Court can change the acquittal in the Ćuruvija case any more](): 2 Feb 2024 - [N1: Vučić comments on the Ćuruvija murder verdict, forgets his 2013 promise](): 5 Feb 2024 - [N1: Two verdicts and nothing: how the trial for the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija unfolded](): 2 Feb 2024 - [N1: Will he keep his promise: Vučić in 2013 on the Ćuruvija murder – I will resign if we do not solve that terrible crime](): 3 Feb 2024 - [Vreme: The start of a possible resolution and what it means](): 15 Jan 2014 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Marković and Radonjić get 30 years each for the Ćuruvija murder](): 5 Apr 2019 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Appeals Court acquits the defendants in the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija](): 2 Feb 2024 - [Insajder: Ćuruvija family lawyer: Kurak, who has been indicted, had his Serbian passport renewed and is under protection](): 8 Sep 2020 - [N1: Four former State Security Service (SDB) members found guilty of the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija](): 2 Dec 2021 - [Vrhovni sud: Kzz OK 38/2024 (Supreme Court judgment)](): 8 Jan 2026 - [Vreme: Radonjić and Romić seek compensation from the state](): 16 Feb 2024 - [Vreme: Lawsuit against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation: Putting the murdered journalist and his family on trial](): 6 Mar 2026 - [N1: Appeals Court acquits the defendants in the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija](): 2 Feb 2024 - [Danas: Brnabić on the acquittal in the Ćuruvija murder: Why is Vučić guilty, and not Tadić?](): 5 Feb 2024 - [Vreme: Request for the protection of legality cannot change the Appeals Court's decision](): 5 Feb 2024 - [021.rs: Ratko Romić also sues the "Slavko Ćuruvija" Foundation: Third lawsuit over its reaction to the verdict](): 15 Jul 2024 - [N1: Matić: Witness testimony misread and decisive evidence dismissed in the Ćuruvija case](): 13 Nov 2024 - [N1: Veran Matić: Supreme Court rules judges violated the law in the Ćuruvija murder trial](): 9 Jan 2026 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: What next after the Supreme Court's finding of irregularities in the Slavko Ćuruvija murder verdict?](): 9 Jan 2026 - [Cenzolovka: The Slavko Ćuruvija murder trial as proof of failure to meet Chapter 23 (1): Pre-election manipulation and witness intimidation](): 5 May 2026 - [Vreme: Ruling against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation: a million-dinar bill over a statement](): 15 May 2026 - [Insajder: The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation must pay more than a million dinars after a lawsuit by Radonjić, Romić and Kurak; an appeal has been announced](): 15 May 2026 - [Cenzolovka: National Working Group Against SLAPPs: Ruling against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation is dangerous pressure](): 16 May 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Jelena Ćuruvija: I haven't moved a single step in the search for justice, but I'm ready for a marathon](): 11 Mar 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Instead of justice – new shots fired at Slavko Ćuruvija](): 18 May 2026 - [Vreme: Re-examine cases of attacks on journalists](): 2 Nov 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Standing Working Group on the Safety of Journalists calls for certain past cases to be re-examined](): 2 Nov 2026 - [Danas: What does the official note on the former POSKOK chief's knowledge of the Slavko Ćuruvija murder say?](): 3 Sep 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Criminal complaint filed against judges who acquitted in the Ćuruvija murder case over altering court records](): 14 Jan 2026 - [Danas: These judges must not stay on the bench: criminal complaint filed against Court of Appeal judges in the Ćuruvija case](): 15 Jan 2026 - [Danas: A verdict without consequences: Court of Appeal rejects accountability in the Ćuruvija case](): 16 Jan 2026 - [Cenzolovka: For two years I have been targeted with claims that I "killed Slavko Ćuruvija"](): 28 Jan 2026 - [Slavko Ćuruvija fondacija: Jelena Ćuruvija seeks a constitutional review of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prevented the Court of Appeal's acquittal in the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija from being reviewed, and the dismissal of the judges who handed down that verdict](): 2 Feb 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Disciplinary complaints filed against judges in the Ćuruvija case as the fight moves to the Constitutional Court](): 2 Feb 2026 - [Cenzolovka: Veran Matić: Commission for the Investigation of Murders of Journalists backs Jelena Ćuruvija's request](): 3 Feb 2026 - [Danas: INTERVIEW Ljuba Milanović: My lead on the Ćuruvija murder was never investigated](): 7 Feb 2026 - [N1: Interior Ministry: Ćuruvija family lawyer makes sweeping claims about Kurak](): 10 Sep 2020 --- Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/curuvija-pravosudje As of: 7 Nov 2026 Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)