Milorad Ulemek (; born 15 March 1968), also known as Milorad Lukovià() and "Legija" (), is a Serbian former commander of the Serbian police special unit, the Special Operations Unit (JSO) and a former paramilitary commander, who was convicted of the assassinations of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran ÃÂinÃÂiàand former Serbian President Ivan StamboliÃÂ. He was also convicted of conspiracy in the attempted murder of Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draà ¡koviÃÂ.
Ulemek was born on 15 March 1968 in Belgrade. His father Milan was a sub-officer in the Yugoslav People's Army, while his mother Natalija was a housewife. Ulemek grew up in New Belgrade, near the Hotel Jugoslavija.
Although he was problematic in his early teens, he finished an auto mechanic program and medicine school in Belgrade. In 1984, he became friends with Kristijan GoluboviÃÂ and together the two committed their first "big" robbery. Ulemek was given the nickname "Cema" from "cement". After a botched robbery in 1985, Ulemek fled to France.
In the mid-1980s, he joined the French Foreign Legion, serving in Chad, Lebanon and Iraq. He was given the nom de guerre "Legion" (Legija) because of his military career in the Legion.
During his service and as sergeant, he did a tour in Yugoslavia as translator for the French Army. On his return, he did not come back from his leave and was considered as a deserter from the French Foreign Legion and went back into Yugoslavia when the Wars erupted in 1992.
He joined the Serb Volunteer Guard in 1992 under the control of Serbian warlord Arkan. Ulemek became one of Arkan's closest friends and a commander of the unit. He commanded the "Super Tigrovi" (Super Tigers) special unit that operated in eastern Slavonia. The unit was disbanded in April 1996, and all of its members were ordered to join the Yugoslav Army.
In 1996, following the dissolution of the Serb Volunteer Guard, on the request by head of the State Security Directorate Jovica Stanià ¡iÃÂ, Ulemek joined the re-structured Special Operations Unit. The unit was famously known as the "Red Berets" for their apparel. In 1999, Ulemek became the leader of the "Red Berets", and became the official commander of "JSO SDB Serbia" in April 2001.
The Red Berets were used during Miloà ¡eviÃÂ's rule for special operations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as for the elimination of Miloà ¡eviÃÂ's political opponents. In April 2001, he resigned after pressure from the political leadership. On 12 March 2003, right after the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ, a country-wide manhunt, named Operation Sabre, was initiated. Twelve days later on 25 March, the unit was disbanded along with 11,000+ people being detained.
On 12 March 2003, some members of JSO who were connected to the notorious Zemun Clan, organized the assassination of Zoran ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ, with Ulemek being named the main organizer. Following the assassination, Ulemek was named the prime suspect and after 14 months of hiding, he surrendered in May 2004. Ulemek claimed that he had been hiding in his house the entire time, which made lot of controversy in public. The ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ murder trial was the first organised crime trial in Serbia.
The trial saw widespread threats to the trial chamber, as well as witness intimidation and the murder of a witness. The first trial chamber president, Marko KljajeviÃÂ, left the proceedings in August 2005. In verdict by Special Court for Organized Crime in Belgrade Presiding Judge Nata MesaroviÃÂ, ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ's assassination was described as "a political murder, a criminal act aimed against the state", in which police officers and the mafia had joined hands to kill ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ and gain political power. Ulemek's deputy in the "Red Berets", Zvezdan JovanoviÃÂ, was convicted of shooting ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ. Ulemek was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the organization of ÃÂinÃÂiÃÂ assassination. After several trials, Ulemek was sentenced to total of 137 years in prison for his crimes.
He was married to journalist Maja LukoviÃÂ, with whom he had a daughter. Following that relationship, he met Aleksandra IvanoviÃÂ, with whom he has had three more daughters.
While serving his prison sentence, Ulemek wrote 24 books.