Yugoslav actor Zarko Lausevic passes away

Photo: ATA Images/Antonio Ahel

Zarko Lausevic died on November 15 at the age of 63, his wife confirmed on behalf of the family.

"We inform the public that today, November 15, 2023, at the age of 63, our husband and father Zarko Lausevic passed away after a short and serious illness. The public will be informed about the date and place of burial in a timely manner. On behalf of the family, Anita Lausevic," Tanjug reports the press release.

Zarko Lausevic was born on January 19, 1960 in Cetinje, then Yugoslavia, now Montenegro.

He graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 1982, when he became a member of the Yugoslav Drama Theater. He made his film debut in 1982, with a role in the film "Persecution" ("Progon"). He also played significant roles in the films "Savamala" and "Direct Broadcast" (Direktan Prenos").

Very quickly, he landed one of the main roles in the TV series "The Gray House" ("Sivi Dom") (1984), which brought him great popularity.

After that, he got roles in more than 20 films and television series, among them (Serbian language titles): "Smeker" (1985), "Svecana Obaveza" (1986), "Desilo se na danasni dan" (1987), "Oficir s ruzom" (1987), "Braca po majci" (1988), "Bitka na Kosovu" (1989), "Original falsifikata" (1991), "Bolje od besktva" (1993), "Kazi zasto me ostavi" (1993 ), "Noz" (1999).

On July 31, 1993, Zarko and his five years older brother Branimir, known as Mili, were attacked by a group of hooligans near a Podgorica, Montenegro bar called "Apple". On that occasion, Zarko shot and killed the attackers using his CZ-99 pistol, and seriously wounded another person, while he was approaching to join the assailants.

He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for double murder. That judgment was confirmed in 1994 after appeals. He served his sentence in Spuz (Podgorica, Montenegro) and in Pozarevac (Serbia). After the verdict was overturned by the Federal Court of the time, after a retrial in February 1998, presided over by Judge Svetlana Vujanovic, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison for double murder committed in excess of self-defense. At that point he had had already served 4.5 years, and so he was released.

Shortly after that, he left the country and settled in New York, US.

The Supreme Court of Montenegro, following the prosecutor's appeal on March 30, 2001, changed the decision on the sentence and imposed a sentence of 13 years in prison.

On July 3, 2009, it was announced that Lausevic was arrested in the United States for staying there without a visa and that his extradition - to Serbia - was being considered based on an international warrant issued in 2002 at the request of the Third Municipal Court in Belgrade. On September 14, 2009, a court in New York made a decision to terminate Lausevic's detention.

In 2011, he published the book, "A Year Passes a Day Never".

"The Second Book" was published in September 2013.

On December 29, 2011, he was pardoned by then President of the Republic of Serbia Boris Tadic. On February 1, 2012, Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic presented him with a Serbian passport, in New York City.

The movie "Laus" was made about his life based on the idea, script and directed by Branka Besevic Gajic, the premiere of which was held in February 2014 at the Sava Center in Belgrade.

(Telegraf.rs)