October 1, 2021
Both of the main September hearings in the retrial for the murder of journalist and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija had to be postponed for the same reason: the absence of Judge Dragan Milošević. And no explanation was provided for his absence on either occasion.
Trial Chamber President Snežana Jovanović has scheduled hearings for two more dates in October – on 25th and 26th. Together with the two previously scheduled dates (7th and 8th), this will mean a total of four hearings in October, which should make up for the fact that none of the scheduled September hearings were held.
With the retrial for Ćuruvija’s murder entering its second year in October, the defence teams are set to begin their closing arguments at the next hearing, with each defendant and their defence lawyers allocated 90 minutes to present their arguments.
The first-instance verdict in the trial for the 11th April 1999 murder of Ćuruvija sentenced four former members of the State Security Service – Radomir Marković, Milan Radonjić, Ratko Romić and Miroslav Kurak (who has been on the run throughout the period) – to a total of 100 years in prison, twenty years after the fact. However, the Court of Appeal last year overturned that verdict and ordered a new trial.
