State funeral for Ratko Mladić: respected war criminal

The state funeral for former general Ratko Mladić has been arranged with full honors in Belgrade following his death. Despite growing resistance against such a ceremony, the event proceeds as planned. Among the attendees will be supporters who regard Mladić as a war hero, even among some nationalist and far-right circles in Serbia. One of his recent followers paid tribute to him before a photo of the war criminal. For many Serbs from the nationalist and far-right spectrum, Mladić is viewed as a warrior figure, almost a mythical being worthy of admiration. Some compare him to King Lazar, who fought against Ottoman forces in the Battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389. Though the battle was lost, the legend of Lazar lives on in Serbian memory. Similarly, Mladić's actions during the Bosnian War have taken on a mythological dimension for certain segments of the population. The Bosnian Muslims, originally indigenous inhabitants of the region, adopted Islam centuries ago and lived peacefully alongside later arriving Serbs in Kalinovik for generations. In the summer of 1992, Mladić visited the village of the “Turks,” as he referred to them, and placed them under his personal protection. Soon after, many were murdered, raped, or forced into exile. Eliminating the “Turks” was part of Mladić’s broader nationalist agenda, one that sought to cleanse the region of non-Serb populations. This ideology persists among less-educated working-class communities in Serbia. Many still harbor deep-seated hatred toward Bosnian Muslims and would be willing to take action again. However, more educated middle classes in Serbia and Belgrade generally reject these views. Their protests against such primitive perspectives have diminished since the assassination of the legendary leader of the Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, in 2003. Sonja Biserko, one of the last representatives of Serbia’s intellectual elite and a fighter for human rights, believes the state is attempting to politically and historically rehabilitate Mladić’s role in the Bosnian War. She advocates for a more humane Serbia, one that embraces solidarity and compassion. Yet she acknowledges little hope remains of preventing a grand state funeral for the war criminal from Kalinovik. The looming success of the AfD in upcoming regional elections highlights how far right-wing forces have grown stronger. At this critical moment, unity and solidarity are essential, not just within Serbia, but especially with those actively fighting for a robust civil society. The taz collaborates with “Alles beginnt im Zentrum” to support left-leaning, self-governed communities nationwide and build a solidarity fund for their protection and preservation. A free, open society requires quality, accessible journalism and active civic engagement. Are you ready to join us? Then support our campaign. Erich Rathfelder Foreign Correspondent, Balkan States Erich Rathfelder is a foreign correspondent based in Southeast Europe, residing in Sarajevo and Split. After studying history and politics in Munich and Berlin, and conducting research trips in Latin America, he joined the taz in 1983 as a Western and Eastern European editor. From 1991 onwards, he worked as a war correspondent in the former Yugoslavia. Today, he continues to contribute as a correspondent, writer, and filmmaker, striving to promote understanding among people in this region. His latest books include Kosovo, Die Geschichte eines Konflikts, published by Suhrkamp in 2010, and Bosnien im Fokus, published in Berlin in 2010. He also directed a documentary film about survivors of concentration camps in Prijedor in 1992. More on this topic After the Death of the War Criminal Mladić Between Myth, Heroism, and Relief The death of the war criminal Mladić has sparked intense reactions. There can be no talk of eased tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By Erich Rathfelder War criminal Ratko Mladić is dead The Butcher of the Balkans Mladić was condemned for the siege of Sarajevo and crimes against humanity in Srebrenica. Until