On 11 April 2026, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media issued a statement marking the 27th anniversary of the murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, who was shot dead outside his Belgrade home on 11 April 1999.
The statement noted that Serbia's Supreme Court, acting in a Protection of Legality procedure, found multiple serious procedural violations in the February 2024 verdict by the appeals court that acquitted four defendants accused of the murder. However, the Supreme Court's findings did not result in the acquittals being overturned. The case therefore remains without closure or accountability after nearly three decades.
The OSCE Representative described ending impunity for crimes against journalists as a prerequisite for media freedom and journalist safety.
The Ćuruvija case has been a long-running test of Serbia's ability to deliver accountability for crimes against the press. The failure to secure a final conviction, despite findings of procedural violations in the acquittal, raises questions about the functioning of the judiciary in high-profile cases with political dimensions.
The statement noted that Serbia's Supreme Court, acting in a Protection of Legality procedure, found multiple serious procedural violations in the February 2024 verdict by the appeals court that acquitted four defendants accused of the murder. However, the Supreme Court's findings did not result in the acquittals being overturned. The case therefore remains without closure or accountability after nearly three decades.
The OSCE Representative described ending impunity for crimes against journalists as a prerequisite for media freedom and journalist safety.
The OSCE Representative described ending impunity for crimes against journalists as a prerequisite for media freedom and journalist safety.
The statement recalled that all OSCE participating states, including Serbia, have committed to upholding the safety of journalists under Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18.The Ćuruvija case has been a long-running test of Serbia's ability to deliver accountability for crimes against the press. The failure to secure a final conviction, despite findings of procedural violations in the acquittal, raises questions about the functioning of the judiciary in high-profile cases with political dimensions.
