Srebrenica Memorial Center files complaint over Mladić image at Serbian football match

The Srebrenica Memorial Center has filed a complaint with the Serbian Football Association over displays honoring convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić during the Red Star Belgrade-Partizan match at Rajko Mitić Stadium.

Fans in the northern stand displayed a large image of Mladić alongside the words “Directly to Potočari.” The image reportedly remained visible throughout the match. The center said the slogan reproduced words Mladić uttered in July 1995 in connection with the capture of Srebrenica and the movement toward Potočari, where thousands of Bosniak civilians had sought protection.

In its complaint, the center said the conduct could not be treated as ordinary disorderly behavior, provocative choreography or political expression at a football match. It described the display as a deliberate use of the stadium to glorify a person finally convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and to repeat words directly linked to the operation that culminated in the Srebrenica genocide.

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Directly to Potočari

The center said reports indicated that a significant part of the roughly 25,000 spectators applauded the display and that Mladić’s name was repeatedly chanted. It also cited reports that a minute of silence was held in his honor before the match, accompanied by the stadium announcement, “May eternal glory and thanks be to him.”

The complaint asks the Serbian Football Association to examine the responsibility of the fans and Red Star Belgrade. It seeks answers about who approved the minute of silence and announcement, whether the club or its officials knew about the choreography in advance, what security checks were conducted, and whether officials recorded or tried to stop the displays. The center also highlighted alleged publication of images of the choreography on the club’s official social media profile.

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May eternal glory and thanks be to him