Vučić: Organization of Mladić's Funeral Depends Solely on Family's Wishes

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that the state has yet to receive any official notification from The Hague regarding the death of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb general convicted of war crimes and genocide.

Vučić addressed reports about Mladić's potential burial in Belgrade, calling them untrue and disrespectful to the family. He affirmed that if Mladić's family wishes for him to be buried in Serbia, the state will ensure the arrangements are made in a decent and dignified manner. Teams have been dispatched to The Hague to assist with logistical matters.

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We have now seen that The Hague wanted Mladić's death behind bars; they did not want to allow the general to die in Serbia, to die where he wanted. This is anti-civilizational behavior, unprecedented and unjustifiable.

In a sharp criticism of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Vučić accused the court of wanting Mladić to die in prison. "We have now seen that The Hague wanted Mladić's death behind bars; they did not want to allow the general to die in Serbia, to die where he wanted. This is anti-civilizational behavior, unprecedented and unjustifiable," Vučić stated.

Ratko Mladić died at the age of 85. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 by the ICTY for genocide, crimes against humanity, and other war crimes committed during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995. The trial, which began in May 2012, involved extensive testimony from 592 witnesses and nearly 10,000 exhibits.

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If the wish of Ratko Mladić's family is for him to be buried in Serbia, the state will organize everything in a decent and dignified manner.