Thousands of mourners gathered in Belgrade to pay their respects to Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander who died at age 84 while serving a life sentence in a UN prison. Mladić, often referred to as the "Butcher of Bosnia," was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.
The funeral service, held at St. Luka church, was officiated by Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The event drew high-ranking officials, including Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić and Justice Minister Nenad Vujić. While the Serbian government previously considered a state funeral, those plans were abandoned following significant criticism from European leaders.
The European Union issued a sharp rebuke regarding the event, stating that the "glorification of war criminals, genocide denial and revisionism contradict the most fundamental European values." The EU emphasized that such actions are incompatible with the standards expected of member states and candidates for accession.
Despite his conviction by the UN war crimes tribunal, Mladić continues to be viewed by many in Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity as a national hero. Supporters organized transportation from across the region to attend the burial, and his coffin was transported to Serbia on a government aircraft. Conversely, victims of the conflict have expressed profound distress over the public displays of reverence for a man responsible for the deaths of thousands.
Daniella Peled, an editor at the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, noted that the public adulation reflects a disconnect between the legal record established by international courts and the narrative presented within Serbian media and education. "It's extremely challenging for post-conflict societies to undertake a national reckoning or acknowledge responsibility for the crimes of the past," Peled observed.
Source: BBC News
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