The State Security Directorate (; abbr. РДБ / RDB), or simply State Security (; abbr. ДБ / DB), was a

security agency A security agency is a governmental organization that conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a state. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies, and typically conduct counterintelligence to thwart other ...

within the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

tasked with protecting the country from internal threats. Formed in 1991, it was dissolved in 2002 and replaced by the

Security Intelligence Agency The Security Intelligence Agency (; abbr. БИА / BIA) is a national security and intelligence agency of Serbia. The agency is responsible for collecting, reporting and disseminating intelligence, and conducting counterintelligence in the interes ...

(BIA).

History

The State Security Directorate was formed in March 1991 after the dissolution of State Security Service (SDB). According to the indictment in the series of trials before the

International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribun ...

, the ''Serbian Special Forces'', also known as ''Serbian Paramilitaries'', were secretly established by or with the assistance of the State Security Directorate. Among those were

Serb Volunteer Guard The Serb Volunteer Guard, SDG. Also known as Arkan's Tigers () or Arkan's men (). was an elite Serbian volunteer paramilitary unit founded and led by Željko Ražnatović (better known as "Arkan"). It was recognized for its superior bearing an ...

(Arkan's Tigers), Special Operations Unit (Red Berets) and

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

. Officially, the Special Operations Unit was incorporated into the State Security Directorate at least since 1996. On 3 October 1999, a vehicle column of

Serbian Renewal Movement The Serbian Renewal Movement (, abbr. SPO) is a liberal and monarchist political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1990 by writer Vuk Drašković, who served as the party's president until 2024. Aleksandar Cvetković is the incumbent leader. ...

, one of largest opposition parties at the time, was attacked while moving down Ibar Highway. Four party officials were killed in the staged accident and party president

Vuk Drašković Vuk Drašković ( sr-cyrl, Вук Драшковић, ; born 29 November 1946) is a Serbian writer and politician. He is the co-founder and former leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, serving as president from 1990 to 2024. He also served as th ...

was injured. In a 2007 ruling by the Belgrade District Court former State Security officer and unit's commander

Milorad Ulemek Milorad Ulemek (; born 15 March 1968), also known as Milorad Luković () 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 o ...

, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, former Head of the State Security Directorate

Radomir Marković Radomir "Rade" Marković ( sr-cyr, Радомир Марковић; born 11 August 1946) is a Serbian former intelligence officer who served as the head of the state security agency SDB within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia from 19 ...

received eight years while other moembers of the unit were sentenced to 14 years in prison. On 25 August 2000, former president of Serbia and once a rival of

Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...

Ivan Stambolić Ivan Stambolić (; 5 November 1936 – 25 August 2000) was a Serbian politician who served as the president of the League of Communists of Serbia (SKS) from 1984 to 1986. A prominent member of SKS, he also served as prime minister of Serbia from ...

, was detained by the police. Soon after, he was gone missing during his every-day jogging routine. His remains were uncovered in 2003, in

Fruška Gora Fruška gora ( sr-Cyrl, Фрушка гора) is a mountain in Syrmia, with most of the mountain being part of Serbia and its westernmost edge extending into eastern Croatia. The Serbian part of the mountain forms the country's oldest National p ...

. After a yearlong trial in special court in Belgrade, a judge found Radomir Marković and Milorad Ulemek, guilty of planning and carrying out the assassination of Ivan Stambolić. The RDB was dissolved and replaced with

on 1 August 2002.

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{{Serbian security and intelligence agencies 1991 establishments in Yugoslavia Government agencies established in 1991 2002 disestablishments in Serbia Government agencies disestablished in 2002 Yugoslav intelligence agencies

History

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