Saranovic gets 30 years for murdering Zrelec: First verdict for murder of a lawyer in Serbia

The Belgrade Higher Court today sentenced Vladimir Saranovic to 30 years in prison on charges that he killed lawyer Vladimir Zrelec on December 1, 2015, in Belgrade's municipality of Vracar. This is the first verdict for a murder of a lawyer in Serbia.

This is also a first instance verdict against which both the prosecution and the defense can to appeal to the Appellate Court in Belgrade.

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Vladimir Saranovic has been convicted for the criminal offenses of aggravated murder and unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, as a quantity of marijuana was found in the apartment where he and his wife lived.

During the trial, Saranovic denied accusations that he murdered the Belgrade lawyer, confirming that he knew him and that he was introduced to him by his relative, Slobodan Saranovic.

In his closing statement, he addressed the widow, Anja Zrelec, saying that he was sorry about her husband, but that he had nothing to do with the murder.

He admitted to the criminal charge concerning the marijuana found in the apartment where he was staying with his wife during the nearly two years that he spent hiding from the police.

This case is said to be related to Zrelec representing Vladimir's relative from Montenegro, Slobodan Saranovic, who was killed in Budva in 2017.

Vladimir Zrelec; Photo: Facebook

The Belgrade lawyer was in charge of managing Slobodan Saranovic's casinos and exchange offices, and was also working on cases brought against Saranovic in Serbia and Montenegro, where he was suspected of ordering the murder of Nikola Bojovic and Milos Vidakovic.

Vladimir Saranovic was formerly employed by the companies owned by his murdered cousin, Slobodan.

The media previously reported that the evidence in the case contained a letter written by Slobodan Saranovic, that Zrelec said should be given to the police if something happened to him.

Vladimir Saranovic was a fugitive for more than two years after the murder of Zrelec, before he was arrested on January 9, 2017, in the Zrenjanin area, on a warrant issued by the Belgrade Higher Court. He has been in custody ever since.

He was accused of shooting Zrelec from a moving car on December 1, 2015, outside the building in Vracar where the lawyer had an office.

Three weeks after the armed attack, the lawyer succumbed to his injuries at the Emergency Center.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)