Serbia interred convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic with military honors in Belgrade, drawing immediate criticism from the European Union, which warned there is no place for the glorification of war criminals.
Mladic, former commander of Bosnian Serb forces during the 1990s Balkan wars, was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed. He died in February 2025 while serving a life sentence. A commemoration ceremony was held ahead of his burial in the Serbian capital.
The funeral proceeded with military honors, a decision that alarmed human rights advocates and Western governments alike. The EU issued a pointed statement saying the ceremony had no place in a Europe built on the memory of those atrocities. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and DW both reported the burial took place in Belgrade. France 24 covered both the commemoration event and the EU's formal response, noting the bloc's concern that honoring Mladic sent a deeply troubling signal about Serbia's alignment with European values at a time when Belgrade's EU accession process remains stalled.
The state-adjacent ceremony risks further straining Serbia's already fraught relationship with the European Union, which requires candidate countries to uphold democratic norms and respect for international law. Neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, where survivors of the Srebrenica genocide still seek full accountability, is likely to view the honors as an affront. The episode also underscores persistent tensions in the Western Balkans over how post-conflict societies reckon with wartime atrocities.
No Serbian government official was immediately quoted on the rationale for granting military honors. The EU did not specify what, if any, diplomatic consequences might follow.