Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
Summary
The European Union is watching closely how Serbia, a country seeking to join the EU, manages the funeral of Ratko Mladic, a Bosnian Serb military leader convicted of genocide and war crimes. Despite his conviction, many in Serbia view Mladic as a hero, and the country plans to hold a funeral with full military honors.Key Facts
- Ratko Mladic was convicted by a U.N. court in 2017 for genocide and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
- Mladic died recently in a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands, and his body was flown back to Serbia on a government plane.
- Upon arrival in Belgrade, Mladic’s coffin was wrapped in the Serbian national flag and carried by military personnel.
- Serbia plans a military commemoration ceremony on Saturday and a public viewing of the coffin in a Belgrade church on Monday before burial in a military cemetery.
- Serbia’s Justice Minister and Mladic’s family accompanied the coffin during transport, while nationalist supporters showed public support.
- The EU has expressed concern about Serbia’s handling of the funeral, seeing it as a test of Serbia’s readiness for EU membership.
- The Balkans remain divided by ethnic conflict from the 1990s war, with Serbia accused of glorifying war criminals in defiance of EU values.
- The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights called on Serbia and Bosnian Serb authorities to stop glorifying convicted war criminals.
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