Serbia's "Lady Macbeth" buried near late strongman Milosevic
Several dozen supporters attended the funeral Saturday of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic who was dubbed the "Lady Macbeth" of the Balkans because of the huge influence she had on her husband.
Markovic's ashes were placed in her husband's grave in the backyard of the family house in the central Serbian town of Pozarevac. Milosevic was buried there in 2006 after he died in the middle of his trial on genocide charges at a U.N. war crimes tribunal.
The couple's son, Marko, and daughter, Marija, did not attend the burial. Those who did included a former president of neighboring Montenegro, members of Milosevic's Socialist Party and others.
A family friend of Slobodan Bulatovic holds the urn containing the ashes of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
Markovic, 76, died last week in Russia, where she had been granted asylum. Serbia's former first lady had fled to Russia in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
Markovic, who had been a sociology professor at Belgrade University, served as leader of a neo-Communist party during her husband's presidency in the 1990s, a coalition partner with a major influence on Milosevic.
Often wearing a trademark plastic flower in her hair, Markovic was known for "diaries" she published in local newspapers that were widely read because they often predicted future political moves by her husband.
A family friend if Slobodan Bulatovic hands down the urn containing the ashes of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
Milosevic is widely considered the politician most responsible for the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia that resulted in the deaths of at least 120,000 people in wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo during the early 1990s. The wars devastated the Balkans, forcing millions to flee their homes.
Markovic was sought for questioning in the killings of Milosevic's political opponents during his autocratic rule but Russia refused to extradite her to Serbia.
Although she was never formally charged, Markovic was widely suspected of playing a role in the 1999 assassination of prominent Belgrade newspaper editor Slavko Curuvija, who was gunned down during the NATO bombing of Serbia. Markovic had publicly accused him of supporting the Western military alliance's attacks.
Workers place the stone onto the tomb of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
A Serbian court recently convicted four former state security members of slaying Curuvija but the court did not reveal who ordered the editor's slaying.
A woman kisses a bust of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during funeral of his wife Mirjana Markovic at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
A woman with dog kisses the wooden cross atop the former strongman Slobodan Milosevic grave during funeral of his wife Mirjana Markovic, marker on right, at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
A family friend Slobodan Bulatovic holds urn with ashes of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
People pay last respect to Mirjana Markovic, right, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic, cross on left, during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
People pay last respect to Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)
A family friend Slobodan Bulatovic holds urn with ashes of Mirjana Markovic, the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic during her funeral at the yard of his estate in his home town of Pozarevac, Serbia, Saturday, April 20, 2019. Markovic died last week in Russia where she had been granted asylum. The ex-Serbian first lady had fled there in 2003 after Milosevic was ousted from power in a popular revolt and handed over to the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP PhotoDarko Vojinovic)