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🇷🇸 Serbia /Conflict & Security

Bećirović Calls State and Military Honors for Mladić ‘Anticivilizational and Unacceptable’

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Denis Bećirović condemned the organization of state and military honors for convicted Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić.
  • Bećirović said honoring Mladić insults genocide victims, contradicts United Nations and European Union values, and could harm regional peace and stability.
  • He urged the EU, Council of Europe, United Nations and other international actors to condemn and take action against institutional glorification of convicted war criminals.

Denis Bećirović has described the organization of state and military honors for Ratko Mladić as “an anticivilizational and unacceptable act of institutional glorification of one of the most brutal criminals.” The Bosniak member and chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency directed the message at Serbia’s authorities.

An anticivilizational and unacceptable act of institutional glorification of one of the most brutal criminals.

· Denis BećirovićHe used the phrase to condemn state and military honors reportedly organized for Ratko Mladić.

Bećirović said such honors equated Serbia’s leadership with one of the worst perpetrators in European history and carried consequences for the future of the entire region. He called the treatment of Mladić, who was convicted of genocide against Bosniaks, “the most brutal act of provoking and insulting genocide victims.”

He also said the move would attack the values of the United Nations, whose court handed down Mladić’s final conviction, as well as the values of the European Union. That criticism, he noted, was directed at a country seeking EU membership. Modern Europe, he said, was built on condemnation of war criminals, not respect for them.

Such treatment of a war criminal responsible for the genocide against Bosniaks is the most brutal act of provoking and insulting genocide victims.

· Denis BećirovićHe said honoring Mladić would directly offend survivors and victims of the genocide.

Bećirović called the glorification of Mladić a scandal extending beyond regional and European borders. He said Serbia’s leadership was creating a post-World War II precedent by honoring a war criminal finally convicted by a UN court, adding that no state or military ceremony could change a final judicial ruling.

Silence in the face of such actions would not be neutrality, but encouragement to dark forces, with long-term negative consequences.

· Denis BećirovićHe called on international institutions to respond rather than remain silent.

He urged the EU, the Council of Europe, the United Nations and other international actors to issue clear condemnations and take concrete measures against those who institutionally glorify convicted war criminals. Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said, wants peace and good relations with all its neighbors, but peace depends on respect for the truth, victims, international law and final court judgments.

Peace is not built by glorifying war criminals, but by respecting the truth, victims and the fight for justice.

· Denis BećirovićHe linked recognition of victims and respect for court rulings to regional peace and stability.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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