Fifth Anniversary of Oliver Ivanovic Murder

Oliver Ivanovic Shot Dead

The fifth death anniversary of Oliver Ivanovic – the assassinated leader of the Freedom, Democracy, Justice Civic Initiative in Kosovo – was commemorated on Jan. 16 in Kosovska Mitrovica, Belgrade and several other cities.

The first memorial service was held by Ivanovic’s family, friends and closest collaborators, who lit candles at the time and place of his death: in front of the Freedom, Democracy, Justice Civic Initiative’s headquarters, in north Kosovska Mitrovica, at 8:15 a.m. The service was also attended by MPs from the People’s Party and Democratic Party and oppositional political activists from Kosovo.

Also present at the Mitrovica memorial were Democratic Party vice president Srdjan Milivojevic, People’s Party officials Miroslav Aleksic, Borislav Novakovic and Stefan Jovanovic, Get Going for Change campaign director Savo Manojlovic as well as local political activists Miko Bisevac, Zarko Ristic, Nebojsa Jovic, Ivan Mitic and Aleksandar Arsenijevic.

The Belgrade memorial service was held at the St. Sava Church and, aside from Ivanovic’s family, was attended by Serbia’s top leadership: President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and the director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic.

“For five years there has been no truth or justice in the case of this vile and inhuman act. Serbia has not forgotten and will not abandon its demand to see the true perpetrators brought to justice. Rest in peace,” wrote Vucic on his Instagram profile.

Ivanovic was killed in front of his movement’s main office by multiple gunshots to the back, fired from a moving vehicle on Jan. 16 2018.

In late November 2021, a new trial session in his murder case commenced before the Special Division of the Pristina Basic Court.

Kosovo’s Special Prosecutor’s Office indicted six Serbs for Ivanovic’s murder: Marko Rosic, Nedeljko Spasojevic, Dragisa Markovic, Zarko Jovanovic, Silvana Arsovic and Rade Basara. According to the prosecution, at least five other individuals are suspected of involvement in the assassination.

Serb Ticket vice president Milan Radoicic and businessman Zvonko Veselinovic have also been linked to the murder but Serbia’s top leadership has defended their innocence claiming they were cleared by polygraph.

Ivanovic’s car was set on fire in July 2017. In his last interview, Ivanovic stated that north Kosovo Serbs do not fear Albanians as much as they do local Serb “criminals and thugs who drive SUVs without license plates.