Eight years after the assassination of Oliver Ivanović, one of the most prominent Serbian political figures in Kosovo, his killing remains unresolved, with neither the direct perpetrators nor the masterminds conclusively identified.
Ivanović was shot dead on January 16, 2018, at 8:15 a.m., in front of the offices of his Civic Initiative SDP in North Mitrovica. On Friday morning, family members, political allies, opposition representatives, civil society activists, and citizens gathered at the site to mark the anniversary, lighting candles and observing a moment of silence. Numerous media outlets covered the event, as in previous years.
Speakers at the memorial emphasized that Ivanović’s assassination was not just a personal tragedy but also a warning to society.
“His murder was a warning to all of us who knew how to live freely—that we could end up the same way as he did,” participants said. “Until there is a verdict, those responsible for the crime will not be forgotten, nor the crime itself, nor Oliver Ivanović.”
Addressing the gathering, Ivanović’s longtime associate Dejan Nedeljković said, “Oliver was a man who knew how to think freely and act freely. Our duty is to remember him as long as we live.”
Another close ally, Marko Jakšić, noted that nearly the same group of people has gathered at this site every year since the murder. “From the very beginning until today, almost the same people have been coming here. I neither expected more nor fewer people than those present today,” he said, adding that the modest turnout reflects long-standing insecurity and political pressure in northern Kosovo.
“Of course, I wish there were more people here. That would mean the city—and we ourselves—had changed. But we live where we live,” Jakšić added.
Opposition representatives from Kosovo and Serbia reiterated that Ivanović’s assassination was politically motivated. Milija Biševac of the Serbian People’s Movement stated that the killing marked the collapse of genuine political pluralism among Kosovo Serbs.
“With the murder of Oliver Ivanović, it was not only a man who died—Serb political life in Kosovo and Metohija died with him,” Biševac said, warning that fear continues to dominate the community.
Democratic Party leader Srđan Milivojević described the site of the killing as “a place crying out for justice,” arguing that the murder followed a coordinated political and media campaign. “Oliver Ivanović was killed because he stood for unity, freedom, truth, and justice,” Milivojević said. He added that Serbia cannot achieve justice until “there is justice for Oliver Ivanović.”
Former Šabac mayor Nebojša Zelenović emphasized that solving Ivanović’s murder is crucial for the future of all citizens. “It is essential that the killers of this and other crimes are found, so that we can finally confront the demons we live with and leave this state of half-awakenness,” he said.
“Oliver Ivanović was the first victim of the Brussels Agreement,” said Savo Manojlović, leader of the Kreni-Promeni movement, noting that Ivanović opposed the agreement and its consequences while playing a key role in the survival of Serbs north of the Ibar River.
Manojlović said that responsibility for Ivanović’s assassination lies with Belgrade, Pristina, and the international community. He described Ivanović’s life and death as a “dramatic paradox”: a man who fought for his people was branded a traitor through media propaganda, and a politician advocating reconciliation, fluent in four foreign languages, was abandoned by the same international actors.
“Serbia cannot become a just society until justice is delivered in the case of Oliver Ivanović,” Manojlović concluded.
Ivanović’s nephew, Aleksandar Ivanović, stressed that the failure to identify those responsible was not due to weak institutions but a deliberate political decision.
“For almost eight years, Serbia has done nothing to uncover who killed Oliver Ivanović and why,” he told Danas. “The fact that the masterminds remain unknown is a political choice. Oliver Ivanović was not killed because he was ‘someone from northern Kosovo.’ He was killed because he was a free man in a system that does not tolerate free people.”
Aleksandar Ivanović recalled that senior state officials repeatedly promised that the killers would be brought to justice, but none of these promises have been fulfilled. “We keep hearing that ‘the truth will come out soon,’ but the truth does not come out on its own—someone has to reveal it,” he said. “This government clearly does not want that to happen. Why—that will only become clear once they are no longer in power.”
Four Separate Commemorations
The anniversary also highlighted divisions surrounding Ivanović’s legacy. In Belgrade, part of the family and opposition figures paid tribute at his grave in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens, while another memorial service took place at the Church of St. Sava, attended by senior Serbian officials and family members close to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
In North Mitrovica, Ivanović’s former associate Ksenija Božović, who later aligned politically with structures close to the Serb List, historically held a separate candle-lighting ceremony two hours after the main event in front of the party offices—the site of the murder. This year, however, she chose not to follow that practice, saying she would instead light a candle in the church, as GI SDP had vacated the offices.
Judicial Developments
In June 2024, the Basic Court in Pristina issued a first-instance verdict, sentencing four defendants to a total of more than 22 years in prison, concluding that the murder was politically motivated. The court did not identify the direct shooter or the individuals who ordered the killing.
Milan Radoičić and Zvonko Veselinović were named as leaders of the organized criminal group but were not convicted, as they were not included in the indictment.
Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has confirmed that arrest warrants related to the case remain active and acknowledged that the investigation has been heavily politicized. Eight years on, Ivanović’s assassination remains a symbol of unresolved political violence, institutional failure, and deep divisions within the Serbian community in Kosovo.
Stojković na pomenu Ivanoviću: Ubice se nalaze u Beogradu, ali dolazi vreme istine i pravde
Manojlović u Mitrovici: „Oliver Ivanović je prva žrtva Briselskog sporazuma“
Isti ljudi, manji grad: Osam godina od ubistva Olivera Ivanovića
Milivojević: Oliver je ubijen zato što se zalagao za ideju zajedništva, slobode, istine i pravde
Zelenović u Mitrovici: Vreme je da izađemo iz polusna
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
