Thousands mourn Serbian prime minister
Tens of thousands gathered at the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkans today to mourn Serbia’s slain pro-Western prime minister, as a massive manhunt for his assassins continued.
Mourners, fellow pro-democracy leaders and foreign dignitaries stood in solemn silence outside and inside the Saint Sava Temple where Serbian Patriarch Pavle (correct) attended a funeral service for the late Zoran Djindjic, who was killed on Wednesday by sniper bullets in downtown Belgrade.
Djindjic’s wife Rizica and children Luka, 10, and Jovana, 13, stood in front of a wooden coffin draped in a red, blue and white Serbian flag, covered with a golden Orthodox cross and decorated with lilies. The casket was placed in the centre of the church, under the building’s huge, concrete dome.
Numerous foreign leaders, including German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, European Commission President Romano Prodi, former US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel attended a service before the funeral later today.
Djindjic was instrumental in ousting former President Slobodan Milosevic and extraditing him to the UN tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. That, along with his pro-Western stance and his recent declaration of an open war against organised crime and corruption, made him many enemies.
Heavily armed police security ringed the Saint Sava Temple, and plainclothes police officers were deployed inside.
“I am worried for the future of my children. There can be no prosperity in a country where prime ministers are slain,” said Dusica Susic, 27, a mother of two who had come to the church. Her comment reflected widespread fears that the assassination could lead to renewed tensions and political instability in the region.
Elizabeth Rehn, a former top UN official for human rights and Finland’s representative at the funeral ceremonies, said the murder was “a step back” for the region.
“What we must continue to do is hope that something good and right for Serbia can come out of this terrible assassination,” she said after arriving in Belgrade.
The government has accused an underworld clan and other allies of Milosevic of organising and carrying out the sniper ambush that killed Djindjic, 50, in front of the government building.
In a statement on Friday evening, the government said authorities had detained up to 136 people over the last 24 hours. Of these, 125 would be held for 30 days, the statement said, adding that a total of 181 people have been taken into custody in connection with the assassination.
Unlicensed weapons, a “substantial quantity of narcotics,” and stolen vehicles were found in the possession of the detained, along with “evidence that confirms the existence of the criminal organisation,” the government said.
On Friday, police demolished the headquarters of the Zemun Clan, a criminal group suspected of being behind the assassination.
Many residents applauded as two bulldozers crushed the concrete walls and smashed windows of the compound, located in the Belgrade suburb from which the group takes its name. It appeared empty.
“This should have been done long ago,” said Teodora Aleksic, 21, a student from the neighbourhood. “Everyone knew they were criminals, those people living there. They built this with blood money.”
During Milosevic’s regime, underworld figures, war criminals and war profiteers formed close ties.
Authorities said they had now joined forces to prevent Djindjic’s efforts to battle crime and bring war crimes suspects to justice.
The police said they were using “all available police and technical resources” in the manhunt for Djindjic’s assassins and were assisted by police of “practically all European countries”.
But the Zemun Clan chiefs – among them warlord Milorad Lukovic, nicknamed Legija – remained at large, and authorities appealed to the public for information on their whereabouts.
Serbian authorities introduced a nationwide state of emergency following Djindjic’s death. It allows police and the military to arrest suspects without warrants and detain them for up to 30 days without charges.
