Vučić Defends His Power with JSO Members – The Unit That Assassinated Prime Minister Đinđić

A day before the anniversary of Zoran Đinđić’s assassination, Aleksandar Vučić is sending a clear message to the people of Serbia – he will defend his power by any means necessary, relying on the very same structures that, 22 years ago, fired shots at a modern Serbia.

Members of the Special Operations Unit (JSO), whose members assassinated Serbia’s first democratic prime minister on March 12, 2003, are back on the streets of Belgrade today. Their role? To intimidate, to threaten, and to beat students and citizens fighting for the Constitution and the rule of law.

Vučić’s decision – from a man who, by his own admission, celebrated Đinđić’s murder by getting drunk – reveals the true nature of his regime and the message he intends to send with this move. He governs Serbia like the leader of a mafia organization, defending his rule through violence, convicted criminals, and war criminals. His policies are not those of a European path but rather an extension of Vladimir Putin’s oppressive rule, marked by repression, political assassinations, and the suppression of truth.

While Vučić accuses citizens of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, the reality is quite the opposite – it is he who is dismantling the constitutional order in a desperate attempt to cling to power through brute force. This is his true radical face, proof that there is no price he is unwilling to pay to stay in power. But let him know this – no Legija or Zvezdan Jovanović will save him from the will of the Serbian people!

We call on the people of Serbia to respond with mass participation in the protest on October 15!
We also urge the European Union and the international community to stop tolerating Vučić’s pro-Putin policies and his brutal trampling of democracy. The EU must stand with the people of Serbia, not with Russia’s political satellite in the Balkans.

Zoran Đinđić’s assassination was an attempt to stop Serbia on its path toward modernization and European integration. Today, Vučić has shown that he is willing to pursue the same scenario to preserve himself and his grip on power. A man like this has long lost the legitimacy to be the president of Serbia.

Balša Božović
President of the Executive Board
Regional Academy for the Development of Democracy