Mira Markovic has absconded to Russia and is likely to face an international arrest warrant in connection with political murders ordered by her husband Slobodan Milosevic’s regime, the Serbian authorities said at the weekend.
The former first lady of Serbia, widely viewed as the most powerful influence on her husband throughout his 13-year rule, vanished from Serbia last month, the interior ministry said after arresting several of her bodyguards and senior officials from the fundamentalist communist party she led.
Ms Markovic is wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of the former Serbian president Ivan Stambolic, whose corpse was found last week after he disappeared in Belgrade in August 2000.
Stambolic, best man at Markovic’s wedding and an intimate friend for 20 years, was the mentor of Milosevic’s career until the latter his fall from power in 1987. By 2000 Stambolic was a formidable opponent threatening the Milosevic family’s grip on power.
Police said Rade Markovic, Milosevic’s former security chief who is in jail for ordering an attempt on the life of an opposition leader, had ordered the abduction and killing of Stambolic.
Milosevic’s brother Borislav, a former Yugoslav ambassador to Russia, lives in Moscow, where he has business interests.
The Milosevics’ gangster son, Marko, also on the run from police and rivals since his father was overthrown in October 2000, is also believed to be in Russia.
The Milosevics’ daughter, Marija, confirmed yesterday that her mother was in Russia and had no intention of hurrying home for questioning. ”Let them issue a warrant,” she quoted her mother as saying after they spoke by telephone.
Markovic left Belgrade before the Serbian prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, was assassinated earlier this month in what the Serbian government is now calling an attempted coup staged by Milosevic loyalists in the security services in cahoots with organised crime.
Markovic had also been ordered to appear in court in Belgrade in connection with suspected illegal dealings in state property but was out of the country before the summons was delivered. – Guardian Unlimited