Belgrade bids farewell to Mladic with military honors: Thousands attend funeral of convicted war criminal

Thousands of people gathered in Belgrade on Monday to pay their last respects to Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, who died in late August while serving a life sentence for war crimes.

Mladic, who died on August 27 in The Hague while serving a life sentence, was convicted by the Hague Tribunal for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Instead of a clear state distancing from his war legacy, the final funeral ceremony in Belgrade was marked by military symbolism, the presence of high-ranking officials, and a massive gathering of his supporters.

His remains were laid to rest in the Church of St. Luke, where the funeral service was led by the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije. The coffin was draped with the Serbian flag, while the honor guard was performed by members of the Serbian Army.

Patriarch Porfirije said during the funeral service that Mladic's name "will remain deeply engraved in the memory and prayers of the majority of the Serbian and Orthodox people", while describing him as "a soldier and commander who in difficult times stood at the head of the army of his people".

At a time when international institutions insist on respecting final decisions on genocide and war crimes, the manner in which Mladic was prosecuted has further opened up the issue of Serbia's confrontation with the legacy of the wars of the 90s.

Thousands of people came to pay their respects to Mladic.

Since the early hours of the morning, citizens began gathering in front of the church to pay their last respects to Mladic. Many of them wore T-shirts with his portrait and symbols glorifying the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska.

After the funeral service, the procession with the coffin headed to the Topcider cemetery, where Mladic was buried. The Serbian Army was lined up there, while hundreds of people gathered.

Among those present were members of the branch of the Russian motorcycle group "Night Wolves", known for its support for the Kremlin, which further emphasized the political and symbolic dimension of the event.

Mladic's supporters made no secret of their stance towards him. Milan Dobric, who had come from Serbia, said that Mladic was a man who "gave everything in his life for the Serbian people – in Kosovo, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia."

Criticism for glorifying a convicted war criminal

The Director of the Humanitarian Law Center, Jasmina Lazovic, assessed that Serbia missed the opportunity to clearly distance itself from Mladic's legacy and his responsibility for the crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Serbia had the opportunity to now say that this is a man responsible for terrible crimes and that this country wants to distance itself from him," said Lazovic.

She assessed that the way Mladic was treated represents a consequence of the politics of memory in Serbia, where, according to her, the wars of the 90s are often presented from the perspective of the Serbian victim, while the crimes and victims of other communities are pushed out of the public narrative.

She particularly criticized the fact that Mladic was buried with military and state symbolism, while the funeral service was led by the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

According to her, such an approach represents a continuation of the long-standing lack of clear institutional distancing from war crimes.

EU: Glorification of war criminals has no place in Europe

The European Union reiterated that the glorification of war criminals, genocide denial and historical revisionism are in direct contradiction to European values.

"Any glorification of war criminals, denial of genocide and historical revisionism are contrary to the most fundamental European values ​​and have no place in either the EU or in EU candidate countries," Brussels said.

European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, earlier cancelled a planned visit to Serbia, stating that the glorification of a person convicted of genocide and war crimes is "incompatible with the values ​​on which the path to the European Union is based."

The presence of members of the Serbian Army, state officials, and the public display of military symbols raised questions about political responsibility for the way Mladic was escorted.

US Senators Warn Serbia and Republika Srpska

On the eve of the funeral, US senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Grassley and Keith Self also reacted, calling on the authorities of Serbia and Republika Srpska to distance themselves from Mladic's legacy.

In a joint statement, they warned that the coming days would constitute a test for Serbia and Republika Srpska, as well as for their willingness to break away from the war past and continue on the path towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

While Belgrade escorted Mladic, US congressmen Greg Murphy and Marc Veasey visited Srebrenica to pay tribute to the victims of the 1995 genocide.

According to the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, their visit represented a confirmation of the American commitment to preserving the truth and accountability for crimes committed during the war.

Who came to pay their respects?

The farewell ceremony was attended by numerous officials from Serbia and Republika Srpska.

Among them were the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović, the leader of the SNSD, Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, Siniša Karan, the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Savo Minić, as well as several ministers and MPs of the entity.

The honors were also presented by the Minister of Culture of Serbia, Nikola Selaković, the Minister of Public Investments, Darko Glišić, the Minister of Defense, Bratislav Gašić, the Minister of Justice, Nenad Vujić, and the Minister without Portfolio, Nenad Popović.

Among those present were Aleksandar Vulin, a member of the Senate of Republika Srpska and former minister in the Government of Serbia, as well as the mayor of Banja Luka, Draško Stanivuković, and the president of the SDS, Branko Blanuša.

Pro-government media also reported that the farewell ceremony was attended by the son of the Serbian president, Danilo Vučić, as well as the Russian ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandar Bocan-Kharchenko.

Vučić did not attend, but defended the manner of burial

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić did not attend the funeral. He cited the visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Belgrade as the reason.

Vučić had previously stated that he had "done everything" to ensure the funeral took place in a "dignified manner", rejecting criticism from the European Union.

His stance on the event further heated the debate about how ready Serbia is to face final war crimes verdicts and make a clear distinction between respecting the victims and glorifying the convicted perpetrators.

Ratko Mladic's funeral in Belgrade thus transcended the boundaries of a religious and family procession. The military symbolism, the presence of political officials, and thousands of citizens who came to pay their last respects transformed the event into a powerful political message.

/The Geopost/