Important Political Assassinations Attempts in Belgrade

Date of the attack: 7. February 2000
Importance: Minister of Defense in the Yugoslav Government and a high official of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro.  Previously he was Montenegrin Minister of Internal Affairs (1991/92) in Milo Djukanovic's government and Federal Minister of Internal Affairs (1992/93) in Milan Panic's government.  Since 1993 he has been Federal Minister of Defense under Radoje Kontic and Momir Bulatovic
Circumstances: Uniting of the Serbian opposition, preparations for the SPS Congress, further deepening of the conflict between Belgrade and Podgorica, a wave of hired killings in Serbia
Assassination: Killed in the restaurant of the Football Club Rad in Banjica.  The assassin used an AK-47 to shoot through the window of the restaurant

Radovan Stojicic Badza

Date of the attack: 11. April, 1997
Importance: Deputy Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs and Chief of the Public Safety Resource of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs.  One of the closest associates of Slobodan Milosevic
Circumstances: Coalition Zajedno takes power locally, the Gonzales Report, conflicts between SPS and JUL, upcoming elections amid guessing of what Milosevic's position will be
Assassination: A very complicated assassination which required an entire team of professional assassins: a restaurant, people located behind the back of the actual assassin, his flight by the same path which he came in

Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan

Date of the attack: 15. January, 2000
Importance: The best known paramilitary commander on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and a man who had pending warrants for his arrest both by the Hague Tribunal and by Interpol.  One of the richest men in Serbia, owner of the SDG company, sponsor of Football Club Obilic, former President of the Serbian Unity Party and former MP in the Serbian parliament
Circumstances: Uniting of the Serbian opposition, preparations for the SPS Congress
Assassination: A complicated hired killing in Hotel Intercontinental.  For the first time the police actually named suspects in the execution and assistance of this kind of crime

Zoran Todorovic Kundak

Date of the attack: 24. October, 2000
Importance: General Secretary of JUL, a businessman and one of the richest men in Serbia, Ph.D. Mirjana Markovic's closest friend and one of the closest friends of the Milosevic family
Circumstances: Mila Djukanovic's election victory in Montenegro, presidential elections in Serbia, barter arrangements with Russia and China fall through
Assassination: Killing from ambush: automatic weapon used, open space where the victim felt safe after exiting his car

Vuk Draskovic

Date of the attack: 3. October, 1999
Importance: President of the Serbian Renewal Movement with MP both in the Yugoslav and Serbian parliaments who hold power in 32 of the largest cities in Serbia, including Belgrade
Circumstances: Alliance for Changes Meetings, police battering of peaceful demonstrators
Assassination: Exceptionally complicated assassination attempt which required a large team of assistants and organizers: a dump truck, a staged car accident, the assassins flight.  Draskovic survived, but for members of SPO died

Slavko Curuvija

Date of the attack: 11. April, 1999
Importance: Owner and editor of the daily newspaper Dnevni telegraf and the weekly magazine Evropljanin, the first victim of the Law on Information, cultivated contacts with people in JUL, but was also close to many people in the opposition parties
Circumstances: At the time of the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia.  One week prior to the assassination, the Politika ekspres daily published an article about Curuvija's role as national traitor
Assassination: Typical killing from ambush (automatic weapons used, area where the victim felt safe, i.e. entrance to the building where he lived)