European Union Leaders Criticize Serbia for Publicly Honoring Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladić

The European Union has expressed strong disapproval regarding the public glorification of Ratko Mladić, a Bosnian Serb commander who died while serving a life sentence for war crimes and genocide. While Mladić was found guilty by a UN tribunal for orchestrating the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, many Serbs view him as a national hero. This discrepancy in perception led to criticism from several European leaders during his funeral in Belgrade. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the presence of senior Serbian officials at the funeral demonstrated a failure to confront a dark chapter in European history. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas described the public honoring of Mladić as an affront to the memory of the victims. Additionally, enlargement commissioner Marta Kos canceled an upcoming visit to Serbia in protest of the glorification. Serbia, a candidate country for the European Union, has faced criticism for its refusal to sanction Russia and its rule-of-law record. Despite the international recognition of Mladić as a

Sources

• BBC
  Thousands turn out in Serbia for funeral of 'Butcher of Bosnia' Ratko Mladić
• DW.com
  EU, UK express dismay over Mladic funeral in Serbia

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• The New York Times
  Thousands of Serbs Gather to Mourn Ratko Mladic, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’
• Reuters
  Bosnia expels two Serbian embassy diplomats in protest over Mladic funeral
• Reuters
  EU's von der Leyen slams turnout for Mladic's funeral