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Ibar Highway assassination attempt

SOLVED1999Ibar Highway near Petka, Lazarevac municipality, Serbia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Vuk Drašković in 2010.jpg
File:Vuk Drašković in 2010.jpg — Credit: Media Center Belgrade · CC BY-SA 3.0

On the afternoon of Sunday, 3 October 1999, opposition politician Vuk Drašković and members of his entourage were traveling in a motorcade from Belgrade toward Ravna Gora along the Ibar Highway in Serbia, then part of FR Yugoslavia. A truck traveling in the opposite direction swerved into the oncoming lane and struck Drašković's vehicle before slamming into a following BMW carrying his bodyguards, which caught fire. The crash killed Veselin Bošković, a high-ranking member of the Serbian Renewal Movement and Drašković's brother-in-law, along with bodyguards Zvonko Osmajlić, Vučko Rakočević, and Dragan Vušurović. Drašković survived.

What was initially described as a traffic accident was soon characterized by Drašković and opposition political figures as a deliberate assassination attempt. Drašković publicly accused the authorities of "state terrorism." Opposition parties, including the Alliance for Changes and the Democratic Party, called for a full investigation, while the New Democracy party explicitly labeled the incident an assassination attempt. Funerals for the four victims took place at Topčider cemetery in Belgrade on 5 and 6 October 1999, attended by opposition leaders but no representatives of the ruling coalition.

Legal proceedings extended over roughly a decade and involved four separate trials due to appeals and annulments by Serbia's Supreme Court. The first trial concluded in January 2003, convicting Nenad Bujošević and Nenad Ilić (identified as the immediate assassins) and State Security chief Radomir Marković, while acquitting Milan Radonjić; this verdict was later annulled. A retrial in 2005 expanded the list of accused to include former JSO commander Milorad Ulemek, former Federal Customs director Mihalj Kertes, and several police and JSO figures, resulting in convictions and sentences ranging from one to fifteen years; this verdict was also fully annulled by the Supreme Court in 2006. A third trial concluded in February 2007 with similar convictions, but was again ordered to be retried, this time directly before the Supreme Court.

The fourth and final trial, presided over by judge Dragomir Milojević, concluded on 19 June 2008. Rade Marković, Milorad Ulemek, Branko Berček, and Nenad Ilić were sentenced to 40 years each for the murder of four men and the attempted murder of Vuk Drašković. Nenad Bujošević received 35 years, and Duško Maričić and Leonid Milivojević received 30 years each. Mihalj Kertes, Dragiša Dinić, and Vidan Mijailović received shorter sentences for concealing evidence. Milan Radonjić and Branko Đurić were again absolved of responsibility due to lack of evidence. On 21 December 2009, the Supreme Court confirmed all sentences on appeal, making them final.

Key facts

Victims
Dragan Vušurović, Vuk Drašković, Vučko Rakočević, Zvonko Osmajlić, Veselin Bošković
Date
1999
Location
Ibar Highway near Petka, Lazarevac municipality, Serbia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1999-10-03

    A truck rammed Vuk Drašković's motorcade on the Ibar Highway near Petka, killing four associates; Drašković survived.

  2. 1999-10-04

    Drašković publicly called the crash a deliberate assassination attempt and accused authorities of state terrorism; opposition parties reacted.

  3. 1999-10-05

    Veselin Bošković was buried at Topčider cemetery in Belgrade.

  4. 1999-10-06

    Zvonko Osmajlić, Vučko Rakočević, and Dragan Vušurović were buried at Topčider cemetery.

  5. 2003-01-30

    First trial verdict delivered: Nenad Bujošević and Nenad Ilić sentenced to 15 years each, Radomir Marković to 7 years; Milan Radonjić acquitted. Later annulled by the Supreme Court.

  6. 2005-06-29

    Retrial verdict delivered in Belgrade District Court with an expanded list of defendants, including Milorad Ulemek and Mihalj Kertes.

  7. 2005-11-23

    The retrial verdict was made official, nearly five months after it was delivered.

  8. 2006-05-16

    The Supreme Court fully annulled the retrial verdict and ordered a new full retrial.

  9. 2007-02-16

    Third trial verdict delivered with similar sentences; case ordered retried again, this time directly before the Supreme Court.

  10. 2008-03-03

    Fourth trial opened before the Serbian Supreme Court's five-person council, presided by judge Dragomir Milojević.

  11. 2008-06-19

    Supreme Court delivered final trial verdict: Rade Marković, Milorad Ulemek, Branko Berček, and Nenad Ilić sentenced to 40 years for murder and attempted murder; other defendants received sentences ranging from 6 months to 35 years.

  12. 2009-12-21

    Supreme Court confirmed all sentences on appeal, making them final.

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People

  • Radomir Marković

    CONVICTED

    Former Serbian State Security Directorate/Service chief; convicted of aiding the perpetrators, later of murder and attempted murder with a 40-year sentence.

  • Dragan Vušurović

    VICTIM

    Bodyguard killed in the attack.

  • Milorad Ulemek

    CONVICTED

    Former JSO commander; convicted and sentenced to 40 years in the final trial.

  • Branko Đurić

    ACQUITTED

    Former Police Chief in Belgrade; absolved of responsibility in all trials due to lack of evidence.

  • Branko Berček

    CONVICTED

    JSO member; convicted and sentenced to 40 years in the final trial.

  • Vuk Drašković

    VICTIM

    Politician and target of the assassination attempt; survived the attack.

  • Vučko Rakočević

    VICTIM

    Bodyguard killed in the attack.

  • Duško Maričić

    CONVICTED

    JSO member; convicted, final sentence of 30 years.

  • Nenad Ilić

    CONVICTED

    JSO member and driver of the truck; convicted, final sentence of 40 years.

  • Dragiša Dinić

    CONVICTED

    Former chief of Serbian Interior Ministry traffic police; convicted for concealing evidence, final sentence 10 months.

  • Mihalj Kertes

    CONVICTED

    Former Federal Customs director; convicted of aiding perpetrators after the crime, final sentence 18 months.

  • Zvonko Osmajlić

    VICTIM

    Bodyguard killed in the attack.

  • Nenad Bujošević

    CONVICTED

    JSO member convicted as one of the immediate assassins; final sentence of 35 years.

  • Milan Radonjić

    ACQUITTED

    Former State Security Belgrade Branch chief; acquitted in all trials due to lack of evidence.

  • Vidan Mijailović

    CONVICTED

    Member of Serbian Interior Ministry traffic police; convicted for concealing evidence, final sentence 6 months.

  • Leonid Milivojević

    CONVICTED

    JSO member; convicted, final sentence of 30 years.

  • Veselin Bošković

    VICTIM

    High-ranking Serbian Renewal Movement member and Drašković's brother-in-law, killed in the attack.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Vuk Drašković in 2010.jpg

    portrait victim

    File:Vuk Drašković in 2010.jpg

    Credit: Media Center Belgrade · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

Places

Ibar Highway near Petka, Lazarevac municipality, Serbia

44.3833, 20.2667

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 3 October 1999, Yugoslav state security operatives rammed a sand-filled truck into the motorcade of Serbian opposition politician Vuk Drašković on the Ibar Highway, killing four of his associates while Drašković survived; after four trials, senior state security and JSO figures were convicted of murder and attempted murder.
Where did the crime happen?
Ibar Highway near Petka, Lazarevac municipality, Serbia.
Who was convicted?
Radomir Marković (Former Serbian State Security Directorate/Service chief; convicted of aiding the perpetrators, later of murder and attempted murder with a 40-year sentence.), Milorad Ulemek (Former JSO commander; convicted and sentenced to 40 years in the final trial.), Branko Berček (JSO member; convicted and sentenced to 40 years in the final trial.), Duško Maričić (JSO member; convicted, final sentence of 30 years.), Nenad Ilić (JSO member and driver of the truck; convicted, final sentence of 40 years.), Dragiša Dinić (Former chief of Serbian Interior Ministry traffic police; convicted for concealing evidence, final sentence 10 months.), Mihalj Kertes (Former Federal Customs director; convicted of aiding perpetrators after the crime, final sentence 18 months.), Nenad Bujošević (JSO member convicted as one of the immediate assassins; final sentence of 35 years.), Vidan Mijailović (Member of Serbian Interior Ministry traffic police; convicted for concealing evidence, final sentence 6 months.), and Leonid Milivojević (JSO member; convicted, final sentence of 30 years.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Serbia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICIbar Highway assassination attemptWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026