EU warns Serbia over funeral for ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Ratko Mladic

EU warns Serbia over funeral for ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Ratko Mladic Thousands of mourners gathered in Belgrade for the funeral of Ratko Mladic, a Serbian general convicted of orchestrating the worst massacre in Europe since World War II. Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia” for his role in the Balkans genocide of the 1990s, died in prison in late August at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity. His remains were returned to Serbia on a government plane, draped in national flags and carried by uniformed soldiers. As his casket was driven from the airport, men lined the road displaying banners honoring him. Mladic's funeral took place at a small church in the Serbian capital, where armed forces stood guard. His coffin was adorned with his signature military hat and a sword, with a display of medals placed in front. Thousands of people, including Serbian veterans and political figures, attended the service. Some wore shirts bearing messages of admiration for Mladic, while others kissed his closed coffin. Serbian flags were hung near the church, and a large banner read: “Welcome, General, thanks be to your mother for bearing a hero.” The funeral sparked international condemnation, particularly from the European Union. EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia, stating that the glorification of Mladic’s death contradicted the core values of the EU. She emphasized that the EU’s path requires confronting the past, genuine reconciliation, and respect for victims of war crimes. An EU spokesperson reiterated the concern, noting that any glorification of war criminals, genocide denial, or historical revisionism has no place in the EU or its candidate countries. Serbia has been seeking EU membership since 2014, but progress has stalled under President Aleksandar Vučić. The EU has repeatedly warned that Serbia must address its wartime legacy, including the crimes attributed to Mladic. In response to the funeral, Denis Becirovic, chairman of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, criticized the event as an “act of identification by Serbia’s leadership with one of the worst killers in European history.” He warned that it could have “unforeseeable consequences for the future of the entire region.” Mladic was a key architect of the ethnic cleansing policies during the Bosnian war, which lasted from 1992 to 1995. His forces were responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed. The attack, which occurred under the protection of the United Nations, shocked European governments that had long sought to prevent mass killings following the Holocaust. Mladic was filmed giving orders to his troops, including a chilling remark: “We give this town to the Serb people as a gift.” The war resulted in the deaths of around 100,000 people and the displacement of nearly 2.2 million. Mladic served as the military figurehead of the Bosnian Serb leadership, alongside former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić. He was arrested in 2011, 16 years after being indicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 after a nine-year trial. Despite his conviction, Mladic remains a revered figure among many Serbians, particularly in Republika Srpska, where his death was commemorated with vigils and gatherings. Some Serbs, including fans of the country’s largest football club, Red Star Belgrade, publicly expressed their admiration for Mladic. The team posted tributes on social media, highlighting his status as a cultural icon. Meanwhile, survivors of the Srebrenica massacre, including Fadila Efendic, whose family members were among the victims, expressed deep sorrow at the continued veneration of Mladic. She lamented that “his ideas are not dead.” The funeral underscored the ongoing tensions between Serbia and the EU, as well as the broader challenge of reconciling the nation’s wartime past with its aspirations for European integration. With the EU continuing to emphasize the need for accountability and remembrance, the event highlights the complex relationship between national identity and international law in post-conflict societies.