Today, March 12, Serbia marked the 23rd anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. The assassination was carried out at 12:25, when a sniper fired from ambush as the prime minister was exiting the Government building in Belgrade.

Đinđić led the Democratic Party and served as the first democratically elected prime minister after the fall of Slobodan Milošević's regime. At 50 years of age at the time of the assassination, he was a key figure in the post-October transformation, with emphasis on modernization of the state, European integration, and the fight against corruption and organized crime.

Following the assassination, Serbia declared a state of emergency that lasted until April 22, 2003. Police conducted Operation "Sabre," resulting in over 11,000 arrests. Milorad Ulemek and Zvezdan Jovanović were sentenced to 40 years in prison each.

Đinđić was buried on March 15, 2003, with the attendance of more than 70 foreign delegations — one of the largest diplomatic gatherings in Serbia at that time.