"Danas" journalist after honors for Mladic: This is one of the most shameful days in the history of Serbia

Journalist and editor of the Serbian daily "Danas", Safeta Biševac, has described as "a great shame for Serbia and Serbs" the way Ratko Mladić was received and glorified after his death.

In a statement to N1, Biševac said that the days following the death of the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska represent, according to her, "the most shameful days in the recent history of Serbia."

"This kind of welcome and glorification of a war criminal is a great shame for Serbia and Serbs, but also a clear message to us Bosniaks, our neighbors from other parts of the former Yugoslavia, Europe and the world," she said.

Mladic, who died in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes, will be buried today at the Topcider Cemetery in Belgrade.

Biševac said that the way Mladić's figure is being treated poses a serious problem for Serbia's dealing with the past.

According to her, even though pro-government media have not put the funeral on the front pages, this does not change the fact that in recent days there has been "a lot of praise in the media and complete neglect of the crimes for which he is accused."

She also criticized the way public television has presented Mladic.

“In public service, he was presented only as a general of the Army of Republika Srpska, there was no mention of genocide or that he was convicted of war crimes,” said Biševac.

She emphasized that there is a difference between disagreeing with the legal characterization of a crime and glorifying the person convicted of it.

"It's one thing to disagree and another to celebrate. Criminals are responsible for the crimes, and by welcoming Mladic in this way, Serbs are blaming themselves for those crimes," she said.

Biševac, who is of Bosnian origin and lives in Belgrade, said that the way Mladić was treated has affected her personally.

"I am Bosnian, but I am a citizen of this country, I live in Belgrade, I want to live here in peace. I don't touch anyone, I don't want anyone to touch me, but when I see this, it really touches me," she said.

Using an expression of Mladic's own, she said that Serbia today seems to her like "a completely crazy country."

According to her, the responsibility for this situation falls on the policies of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

"First of all, because of the government that managed to impose responsibility for war crimes on Serbs. This country is crazy because of Aleksandar Vučić's policies," Biševac declared.

Speaking about the funeral ceremony, Biševac said that Serbian institutions are trying to create a formal distance from the funeral, but that developments so far paint a different picture.

She mentioned the presence of soldiers, the covering of the coffin with a flag and the participation of the Minister of Justice, as well as the ceremony held at the Army House.

"This is not a state funeral, but it actually is. Everything looks like a state funeral," she said.

According to Biševac, Vučić's absence from the ceremony could be used by the authorities as an argument that the state is not directly involved.

She also warned that there could be reactions from the European Union and European officials.

"The EU will certainly not accept a Serbia like this," said Biševac, also linking this to Serbia's European integration process.

The GeoPost