Serbian journalist Stefan Cvetković, known for investigating the 2018 murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanović, has died after his health deteriorated while serving a prison sentence.
According to Serbia’s Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Cvetković had been hospitalized at the Military Medical Academy (VMA) since June 24, after previously receiving treatment at the Special Prison Hospital in Belgrade.
Authorities stated that details regarding his medical treatment cannot be disclosed due to personal data protection and patient privacy laws.
“In accordance with legal procedures, the police, the prosecution, and the family of the deceased have been notified,” the Directorate said in a statement to Nova.rs.
Cvetković was the founder and editor-in-chief of TNT Television and the newspaper Belocrkvanske Novosti.
He drew widespread public attention in 2018 after he was reported missing in Bela Crkva. Police found his vehicle abandoned with its doors open and headlights on, prompting a large-scale search operation. He was located approximately 30 hours later.
Throughout his career, Cvetković reported on several sensitive cases, including the assassination of Oliver Ivanović in North Mitrovica.
He had previously been sentenced in a first-instance ruling to more than two years in prison following lawsuits filed by officials from Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). However, Serbia’s Higher Court in Pančevo later overturned all three verdicts and ordered retrials, according to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS).
In a video recorded from prison, Cvetković claimed he was being prevented from undergoing a necessary surgical procedure. He accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his brother Andrej Vučić of influencing authorities to block his access to medical treatment.
