Who is Milorad Ulemek Legija

Milorad Ulemek Legija is one of the most controversial figures in contemporary Serbian history, whose name is inseparably linked to the wars in the former Yugoslavia, the work of the secret services, and the most serious political assassinations in recent Serbian history. Born in 1968 in Belgrade, Milorad Ulemek traveled a path from a member of the French Foreign Legion, through paramilitary formations engaged in the wars in the former Yugoslavia, to commander of the Special Operations Unit, known as the Red Berets. He is best known to the public for his role in the 2003 assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, for which he was finally sentenced to the maximum prison term. Besides his military and criminal record, he is also known as the author of more than twenty novels written while serving his prison sentence.

Early Life and Childhood

Milorad Ulemek was born on March 15, 1968, in Belgrade. His father, Milan, was a non-commissioned officer in the Yugoslav People's Army, while his mother, Natalija, worked as a clerk at the postal savings bank. The Ulemek family originally comes from the village of Pecka in Kordun, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia.He grew up in New Belgrade, near the Hotel "Jugoslavija," in an environment that at the time was known for its urban dynamism and numerous youth social circles. According to available sources, in his early youth he was troubled and prone to run-ins with the law. As a young man he became friends with Kristijan Golubović, with whom, according to media reports, he took part in criminal offenses, earning him the nickname "Cema," derived from the word "cement" (referencing an alleged construction-site scam).This period of his youth, marked by minor offenses and clashes with the police, would later prove to be a prelude to a far more turbulent life path that took him beyond the borders of Yugoslavia.

Education

Milorad Ulemek completed an auto-mechanic course in Belgrade, and later also a medical school. Although he obtained formal training in the medical field, he never worked professionally in medicine. After being involved, according to media reports, in a failed robbery in 1985, he left Serbia and went to France, redirecting the course of his life toward a military career rather than the profession for which he had trained.

Beginning of His Career

In the mid-1980s, Milorad Ulemek joined the French Foreign Legion in France, an elite military formation known for its strict discipline and deployment to war zones around the world. He spent around six years in the Legion, serving with the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2 REP), with missions in Chad, Lebanon, and Iraq. It was during his service with this unit that he earned the nickname "Legija" ("Legion"), under which he later became known to the wider public.During his service, holding the rank of sergeant, he also worked as a French military interpreter during a deployment to the territory of Yugoslavia. When the conflicts in the region intensified in the early 1990s, he did not return from leave to his unit, which was treated as desertion in French military records. This step marked the end of his career in the French armed forces and the beginning of a new, far more controversial chapter.

Rise to Prominence

In 1992, Milorad Ulemek joined the Serbian Volunteer Guard, a paramilitary formation under the command of Željko Ražnatović Arkan. He became one of Arkan's closest associates and commander of the unit known as the "Super Tigers," which operated in the area of eastern Slavonia during the war in Croatia. This unit was disbanded in April 1996, after which its members were transferred into the ranks of the Army of Yugoslavia.That same year, on the initiative of the then-head of the State Security Department, Jovica Stanišić, Ulemek joined the reorganized Special Operations Unit (JSO), known publicly as the "Red Berets." In 1999, he became its de facto leader, and officially took over as commander in April 2001. During the 1990s, the unit was deployed in the conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, and, according to media reports, was also used to settle scores with political opponents of Slobodan Milošević's regime at the time.Milorad Ulemek's role during the demonstrations of October 5, 2000, when Slobodan Milošević's government was overthrown, remains a subject of differing interpretations in public discourse. According to the most widely accepted version of events, the JSO at that time took a position that did not prevent, but rather allowed, the change of government to proceed unhindered, which briefly earned Ulemek the trust of the new democratic authorities, including Zoran Đinđić.

Greatest Achievements

Although his biography is, for the most part, marked by controversy and criminal proceedings, in military terms Milorad Ulemek reached the rank of colonel over the course of his career in the Foreign Legion and later in the JSO. He led one of the best-trained and best-equipped units within the Serbian security structures of the period.After withdrawing from active service and during his time serving his prison sentence, Ulemek turned to writing. He is the author of more than twenty novels, among which Gvozdeni rov (2004), Legionar (2005), Momci iz Brazila (2006), Juda (2006), Čopor (2007), and the trilogy Prah i pepeo (2014–2017) stand out. According to publisher figures, his works have achieved significant readership in Serbia and the region, regardless of the author's controversial public image, and his most recently published novel, Poslednji bataljon, came out in 2022.

Private Life

Milorad Ulemek was married to journalist Maja Luković, with whom he has a daughter. From this marriage, he also took on the surname Luković, under which he was also publicly known, particularly during the period he spent evading the courts. After this marriage ended, he began a relationship with Aleksandra Ivanović, with whom he has three daughters.Following the assassination of Zoran Đinđić on March 12, 2003, Milorad Ulemek was a fugitive for the following 14 months. He voluntarily surrendered to the authorities in May 2004, emerging from his home in Belgrade's Cerak neighborhood. He claimed that he had spent the entire period hiding in his own home, a claim that sparked numerous public disputes and doubts.Milorad Ulemek is currently serving his prison sentence at the Zabela Correctional Facility, in a special, secured section of the institution, where he is held due to the nature of the criminal offenses for which he was convicted.

Trivia

He earned the nickname "Legija" for his many years of service in the French Foreign Legion. Besides the nickname "Legija," he is also publicly known by the names "Cema," "Šareni," and "Ćoro." While serving his prison sentence, he wrote more than twenty novels, placing him among the most prolific writers to work under prison conditions in the region. His surname was a source of public confusion, given that he is also known under the surname Luković, which he adopted after marrying Maja Luković. Extensive public debate was conducted in the media over the circumstances of his surrender to the authorities, during the 14-month period he spent evading the courts following the assassination of Zoran Đinđić.

Awards and Recognition

There is no publicly available, reliably confirmed information about official awards or civilian honors given to Milorad Ulemek. In his military career, he reached the rank of colonel, while information about any decorations from the period of the wars of the 1990s has not been unambiguously confirmed in available sources.

Legacy and Influence

The case of Milorad Ulemek remains one of the most significant in the history of the fight against organized crime in Serbia. The trial for the assassination of Zoran Đinđić, which was conducted before the Special Court for Organized Crime in Belgrade and lasted three and a half years, was marked as the first major organized crime trial in the country. The proceedings were also accompanied by witness intimidation, including the murder of one witness, indicating the scale of influence the structures involved held during that period.Under the Special Court's May 2007 verdict, twelve defendants were sentenced to a combined total of 378 years in prison, with Milorad Ulemek, as the one who ordered the assassination, and Zvezdan Jovanović, as the direct perpetrator of the murder, receiving the maximum sentences of 40 years each. The case left a lasting mark on Serbia's political and judicial system, and Milorad Ulemek's name is still associated today with the theme of conflict between state structures and organized crime during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Biography — Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Milorad Ulemek Legija?

Milorad Ulemek is a former member of the French Foreign Legion and former commander of the Special Operations Unit (JSO), finally convicted of organizing the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić.

Why is Milorad Ulemek called Legija?

He earned the nickname for his many years of service in the French Foreign Legion, where he spent around six years, including missions in Chad, Lebanon, and Iraq.

What was Milorad Ulemek convicted of?

He was convicted of organizing the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in 2003, of the murder of former President of the Presidency of Serbia Ivan Stambolić, and of complicity in the attempted murder of Vuk Drašković.

How many years in prison did Milorad Ulemek receive?

He has been finally convicted on multiple occasions and given the maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Under the Serbian legal system, sentences are not added together, so he will spend a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Is Milorad Ulemek a writer?

Yes, while serving his prison sentence he wrote more than twenty novels, starting with Gvozdeni rov in 2004, through to the novel Poslednji bataljon in 2022.

Where is Milorad Ulemek currently serving his sentence?

He is serving his sentence at the Zabela Correctional Facility, in a special section of the institution designated for those convicted of serious criminal offenses.

Was Milorad Ulemek married?

He was married to journalist Maja Luković, with whom he has a daughter, and later was in a relationship with Aleksandra Ivanović, with whom he has three daughters.

How long did Milorad Ulemek hide from the police?

Following the assassination of Zoran Đinđić in March 2003, Ulemek was in hiding for 14 months, until he voluntarily surrendered to the authorities in May 2004.

Who was Milorad Ulemek's deputy in the JSO?

Zvezdan Jovanović was deputy commander of the Red Berets and, according to the court's verdict, the direct perpetrator of the murder of Zoran Đinđić, for which he was also sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Conclusion

Milorad Ulemek Legija represents one of the most complex and controversial figures in contemporary Serbian history. His path — from a member of the French Foreign Legion, through paramilitary formations during the wars of the 1990s, to commander of an elite police unit and, finally, a convicted perpetrator of serious political murders — reflects a turbulent period in Serbian history. Today he is known both for his role in the assassination of Zoran Đinđić and for the literary work he has developed while serving his prison sentence.