Mistery of Stambolic murder finally resolved

08 April 2003

On March 28th the Minister of Interior Affairs Dusan Mihajlovic said that posthumous remains of Ivan Stambolic have been found. "His remains reposed in a lime pit on Fruska Gora Mountain�, Mihajlovic said. "We now know that he has been abducted by four members of Special Operations Unit (JSO) and that they switched vehicle in New Belgrade, drove him to Fruska Gora, killed him with two bullets and buried him into a lime pit made in advance" said Mihajlovic.

Ivan Stambolic, whose body was found in Fruska Gora, missed on August 25th, 2000.

The State media did not announce Ivan Stambolic�s abduction until the August 30th, 2000.

Minister of Interior Affairs Dusan Mihajlovic said that the murder is politically motivated: Stambolic having constituted a potential nominee in the presidential elections occurred in September 2000, as Serbian Democratic Opposition (DOS) candidate. On those elections former FRY president Slobodan Milosevic lost power. In connection with this case, Slobodan Milosevic and his wife Mirjana Markovic will be investigated, said Mihajlovic.

He said that four members of recently dismissed Special Operations Unit suspected of murder of former president of Serbian presidency have also been arrested. A former high official of Yugoslav left party (JUL), Ivan Markovic, on August 31st 2000 said that state media had not published information about his missing "because it would meainingless to them".

In Belgrade on September 24th 2000 the Committee for release of Ivan Stambolic has been formed. That Committee, so as People's movement "Otpor", RTV B92, ANEM and the news agency BETA started from November 7th 2000 the campaign called "For Ivan" on the whole Serbian territory.

Ivan Stambolic was a high official of former Serbian Communist Party and president of Serbian presidency in former SFRY.

At the 8th Summit of Central Committee of Serbian Communist Party Stambolic was forced to give up the position as president of Serbia and had to seclude from public.

In the crime puzzle whose pieces are slowly getting together, one name is appearing as alpha and omega of terror Serbia has been lived under, more than decade � Mirjana Markovic. In the last few days the Ministry of Interior Affairs� (MUP) reports initiated it with no doubt. But never before these accusations have been so concrete and heavy as they are now. That is probably the reason why Mirjana Markovic doesn't want to respond to MUP calls for investigation and come back to the country (she went away in late February, the day before Vojislav Seselj went to the Hague).

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of Mirjana Markovic and her son Marko Milosevic. As to the latter, an Interpol warrant has been issued. Mystery of Ivan Stambolic's murder started to uncoil as police found his direct executioners. What had been for a long time public opinion on the issue is now become more and more credibility: according to MUP, behind the Stambolic case, stands president of JUL, wife of Slobodan Milosevic � Mirjana Markovic.

Ivan Stambolic will be buried on the 8th of April in Belgrade with the highest military honours.

Source: Osservatorio Balcani