Mladić Funeral Draws EU Condemnation Over Honors

Thousands gathered in Belgrade for the funeral of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb commander who died at 84 while serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–95 Bosnian war, including the Srebrenica massacre. Supporters displayed Serbian flags and banners calling him a hero, reflecting his continued popularity among some Serbs. Serbia returned his remains from The Hague on a government plane, and soldiers carried the coffin, but accounts differed over whether the burial involved an official state ceremony, with some reports describing military honors and others saying it was organized by his family without serving officials or an artillery salute. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia, saying the tributes were incompatible with the values underlying its EU membership path. Regional officials, victims’ representatives and others condemned the honors as an insult to victims and a threat to reconciliation in the Balkans.