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The Second Basic Court in Belgrade has ruled against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, ordering it to pay former State Security Service officers Miroslav Kurak, Ratko Romić, and Milan Radonjić 200,000 dinars each in damages, plus 435,000 dinars in legal costs - totalling approximately 8,800 euros. The lawsuit was filed in 2024, following a public statement the Foundation issued in response to the Court of Appeal's decision to acquit the three men, along with former State Security Service chief Radomir Marković, of the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija.
The acquittal came after a nine-year trial and two first-instance judgments that had sentenced all four defendants to a combined 100 years in prison. The Court of Appeal overturned those sentences, citing lack of evidence. The Foundation responded with a public statement titled "A country that does not punish murderers has no future." The Second Basic Court found that this statement violated the plaintiffs' honour and reputation, since they had already been finally acquitted at the time of its publication.
The court did not take into account any of the Foundation's arguments - including the fact that the Supreme Court had subsequently established that the Court of Appeal judgment was rendered with serious violations of criminal procedure rules in favour of the defendants. The awarded damages amount is without precedent in comparable domestic court practice.
The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation has announced it will appeal the judgment. The Foundation described the ruling as a form of continued pressure on the survivors and a signal to the broader media community, stating that "the silencing of freedom of expression in the Ćuruvija case continues."
The acquittal came after a nine-year trial and two first-instance judgments that had sentenced all four defendants to a combined 100 years in prison. The Court of Appeal overturned those sentences, citing lack of evidence. The Foundation responded with a public statement titled "A country that does not punish murderers has no future." The Second Basic Court found that this statement violated the plaintiffs' honour and reputation, since they had already been finally acquitted at the time of its publication.
The court did not take into account any of the Foundation's arguments - including the fact that the Supreme Court had subsequently established that the Court of Appeal judgment was rendered with serious violations of criminal procedure rules in favour of the defendants. The awarded damages amount is without precedent in comparable domestic court practice.
The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation has announced it will appeal the judgment. The Foundation described the ruling as a form of continued pressure on the survivors and a signal to the broader media community, stating that "the silencing of freedom of expression in the Ćuruvija case continues."
