
9 days · 5 summary articles
Ratko Mladić, the convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal, was buried with military honors in Belgrade on Monday, attended by thousands of mourners. His coffin, draped in the national flag and adorned with his military cap, saber, and medals, was carried in a procession from the Sveti-Luka Church to the Topčider Cemetery, where he was interred beside his daughter, who died in 1994 .
The funeral drew tens of thousands, including mourners from Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the diaspora, many bearing Serbian flags and images of Mladić. A six-soldier honor guard stood by the casket, and a military band accompanied the procession, while Orthodox priests led the service. Among the attendees were Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, Justice Minister Nenad Vujic, Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik, and Russia’s ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandr Bocan-Harcsenko .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić did not attend, citing a state visit by Uzbekistan’s president, though his son Danilo was present. The government insisted the funeral was a private affair, despite the involvement of state-controlled media and the military’s role in the ceremony .
The European Union condemned the glorification of Mladić, with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceling a planned visit to Belgrade. A spokesperson for the EU’s foreign service stated that such glorification “has no place in the EU or in EU candidate countries” . Bosnia and Herzegovina recalled its embassy staff from Belgrade and suspended bilateral meetings, citing Serbia’s glorification of Mladić .
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