After the death of Ratko Mladic, the Vice-President of the Republic of Serbia came forward, his tongue was bared.

The death of General Ratko Mladić has triggered a response from the vice-president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, who spoke without a beard. Mladić, who died at the age of 84 after serving a life sentence for war crimes and genocide committed during the Bosnian War, is regarded as one of the worst perpetrators of wartime atrocities in Europe. His role in the massacre of Srebrenica, considered the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II, has made him a symbol of extreme violence. While he was generally considered the main architect of the Srebrenica massacre, his actions were ultimately directed by political leaders who built their careers on nationalism. The legacy of such figures still influences politics in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s entities, including the Republika Srpska and Serbia. Mladić's military career began with his involvement in the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, when he was stationed in Knin, Croatia, and eventually took command of the 9th Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in battles against Croatian forces. In May 1992, he was assigned to Sarajevo, where he assumed leadership over the second military district. This position placed him at the center of the three-year siege of Sarajevo, during which Bosnian Serb forces bombarded the besieged population with artillery, mortars, rifles, and pistols, resulting in the deaths of thousands. In March 1995, the leader of Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadžić, ordered his troops to create “conditions of total insecurity” for civilians in Srebrenica, leading to the eventual massacre. Under Mladić’s command, numerous war crimes were committed. The two most notable incidents were the siege of Sarajevo, which resulted in over 12,000 civilian deaths, and the capture and genocide of approximately 8,000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica. These acts led to his indictment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). On November 22, 2017, Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment for both personal and command responsibility. He was arrested in May 2011 in Lazarevac, Serbia, after 16 years of hiding, following international pressure that helped bring Serbia closer to the European Union. He was transferred to The Hague on May 31, 2011. The current vice-president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, Ćamil Duraković, expressed his views to the BH television station N1. He emphasized that while Mladić’s death brings no joy to the families of the victims, it should serve as a warning to future generations. Duraković stated that the Serbian government must distance itself from such individuals to prevent similar figures from emerging. He warned that failing to do so could lead to further deterioration of interethnic relations. Although he believes the entity of Republika Srpska might follow suit, he doubts it will happen, fearing a worsening of tensions. In another incident, a local hospital in Tomislavgrad faced backlash after posting a photo of Mladić on social media, accompanied by a message expressing gratitude and wishing him peace. The hospital, located in the town of Tomislavgrad, quickly faced public outrage and criticism from local politicians. Director Ivanka Živković confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against the employee responsible for the post. She also stated that the hospital would not tolerate glorification of war criminals, spreading hatred, or actions that harm trust among patients. The opposition party HDZ BiH strongly condemned the post, calling for the hospital to resign and directing its criticism toward local authorities and the management of the health facility. They blamed the director and the board of directors for the incident and demanded an investigation into their roles. The history of Tomislavgrad and surrounding areas is deeply tied to the tragic events of the Bosnian War. In April 1992, over 160 Croatian defenders were killed in clashes in the region. The opposing forces, however, had greater numerical strength and better weaponry. Mladić, as commander of the 9th Corps of the JNA, sent some of his units to attack Kupres and nearby areas. These units directly participated in attacks on Kupres and surrounding regions, contributing to the broader conflict.