US Senators Warn Serbia Ahead of Mladic's Funeral: The Coming Days Will Be a Test

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Grassley, as well as Congressman Keith Self, have reacted on the eve of Ratko Mladic's funeral, calling on Serbia and Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina to distance themselves from any form of homage to the former Serbian commander convicted of war crimes.

In a joint statement, US lawmakers have called Mladic a "war criminal" and "architect of the genocide in Srebrenica", where more than 8 Bosniak men and boys were killed in 1995.

"Ratko Mladic was a war criminal and architect of the genocide in Srebrenica, where more than 8 Bosniak men and boys were killed. His forces were also responsible for the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo, one of the longest in modern history," the statement said.

Shaheen, Grassley and Self have expressed concern over warnings that Mladic could be buried with state and military honors in Serbia.

They have also criticized the statements of the former president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, who has glorified Mladic, describing him as a "Serbian freedom fighter."

US lawmakers have called on the Serbian government and Republika Srpska authorities not to participate in the planned ceremonies and to avoid any official statements or actions that could be interpreted as honoring Mladic.

According to them, the way Serbia and Republika Srpska behave in the coming days will be an important indicator of their political and European orientation.

"The coming days will be a test of whether Serbia and the Republika Srpska are ready to break away from the past and move towards EU membership and Euro-Atlantic integration, or will they allow this past to once again hinder a better future for their people," the US senators and congressman concluded.

Ratko Mladic, former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was sentenced to life imprisonment by international justice for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. His sentence was upheld in 2021.

The GeoPost