Council of Europe rights commissioner: Glorifying Ratko Mladić is illegal and insults victims

Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, said publicly glorifying Ratko Mladić is both an insult to victims and outside the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights.

“I am appalled by the public glorification of Ratko Mladić, a deceased war criminal convicted of genocide in Srebrenica and crimes against humanity, including statements by officials in Republika Srpska and Serbia,” O’Flaherty said in a statement.

He recalled that glorifying a convicted war criminal constitutes a criminal offense under the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such statements, he said, do not qualify as speech protected by the European human rights convention.

O’Flaherty called on all responsible authorities to oppose the glorification of convicted war criminals. He also urged them to meet their legal obligations, ensure accountability, protect victims’ rights and preserve justice.

The commissioner’s statement followed the return of Mladić’s body to Serbia on a state aircraft after he died in United Nations detention in The Hague. Mladić, a general convicted in The Hague of genocide and other crimes, died at the age of 85. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said security assessments indicated that tens of thousands of people could attend the funeral and that the state would have to ensure it took place safely.

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I am appalled by the public glorification of Ratko Mladić, a deceased war criminal convicted of genocide in Srebrenica and crimes against humanity, including statements by officials in Republika Srpska and Serbia.