EU condemns ‘glorification of war criminal’ at Ratko Mladić funeral in Belgrade

The EU has condemned the celebrations surrounding Ratko Mladić’s burial in Belgrade, warning that the glorification of war criminals has no place in Europe or in countries seeking to join the bloc.

An official from the European External Action Service said that honoring war criminals, denying genocide and promoting broader historical revisionism contradicted “the most fundamental European values.” The statement came as funeral ceremonies for Mladić began in the Serbian capital.

The former Bosnian Serb army commander died on Aug. 27 in a hospital in The Hague, where he had been serving a life sentence. The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals had convicted him of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995.

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the glorification of war criminals

The EU said it stood in solidarity with all victims, survivors and families who suffered from war crimes in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Brussels also said it supported Western Balkan countries working to promote reconciliation and regional stability.

Mladić’s name remains inseparable from the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995. Bosnian Serb forces under his command overran the United Nations safe area and killed about 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Despite his conviction, parts of Serbia’s population continue to honor Mladić as a hero.

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the most fundamental European values