Key Takeaways

• Thousands gathered in Belgrade for the Ratko Mladić funeral despite EU objections to the event.
• European Union leaders denounced the gathering as a glorification of war crimes and genocide denial.
• Mladić, convicted of genocide during the Srebrenica massacre, died in a Dutch prison at age 84.
• Serbian officials and Orthodox Church leaders honored Mladić, while victims’ families expressed deep distress.

In Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, thousands of people assembled to attend the funeral of Ratko Mladić, a figure simultaneously revered by nationalists and condemned globally as a convicted war criminal. The event underscores the enduring rift between historical accountability and nationalist narratives in the Balkans.

The gathering occurred shortly after Mladić died at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence in a United Nations prison in The Hague, Netherlands. Initially, a Serbian government minister had indicated that Mladić would receive a state funeral, but these plans were altered following strong objections from European leaders. The European Union issued a stark statement denouncing the event, labeling it as an unacceptable glorification of a man found guilty of heinous crimes.

"Ratko Mladić was a convicted war criminal who had committed war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity," the EU stated in its official declaration. The organization emphasized that any attempt to glorify war criminals or deny genocide contradicts fundamental European values and has no place in the EU or its candidate countries. Serbia has been an EU candidate nation since 2012, though its membership negotiations have recently stalled due to various political and historical disputes.

Historical Context and Conviction

Ratko Mladić commanded Bosnian Serb forces during the 1990s against Bosnian Croat and Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) armies. His military campaigns were central to the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, a conflict characterized by widespread ethnic cleansing aimed at expelling non-Serbian populations from Bosnia-Herzegovina by force. His troops besieged the capital city of Sarajevo, a campaign that resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 people.

The most infamous charge against Mladić was his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, for which a UN war crimes tribunal found him guilty of genocide. Approximately 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed in the atrocity, which is described as Europe’s worst atrocity since World War Two. Mladić was arrested in 2011, 16 years after his initial indictment, and was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 following a nine-year trial.

Despite his conviction, Mladić remains a polarizing figure. While international courts established a detailed historical record of his crimes, many Serbs perceive him as a heroic defender of the nation. This perspective is particularly strong among Serb nationalists and in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska, where his death sparked local vigils.

Scenes from the Funeral

The funeral service was held at the small St Luka church in Belgrade. Early in the day, long queues formed as people waited to enter and pay their respects. The atmosphere was marked by solemn reverence, with crowds arriving hours before the service to light candles outside the church. A choir sang from a loudspeaker, creating a somber backdrop in the sunshine.

Inside the church, Mladić’s coffin was guarded by several men, primarily war veterans. His wife, son, and grandchildren stood within to receive condolences. The coffin had been flown back to Serbia the previous week on a government plane, carried by six soldiers and draped in flags. Free bus services were organized from Bosnia and various towns in Serbia to facilitate attendance for those wishing to pay their respects.

Serbian government ministers joined the crowds outside the church where Mladić lay in state. Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić and Justice Minister Nenad Vujić were among the officials present, according to local media reports. The funeral service was led by Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In his address, Patriarch Porfirije stated that Mladić's name would remain "deeply etched in the memory and prayers of the majority of our Serbian Orthodox people, who feel and nurture a deep sense of gratitude towards him."

The presence of military figures was prominent throughout the day. Many attendees were army veterans, and some men were draped in flags printed with Mladić's picture. The sentiment of national pride was further echoed in the sports world, where fans of the Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade unveiled a display of Mladic before their derby win over Partizan Belgrade on Sunday night.

International and Victim Perspectives

The event has reignited painful memories for victims of the Bosnian War. Zdravka Gvozdjar, a woman from Sarajevo whose nine-year-old son was killed by Mladić-led forces during the siege of the city, described the funeral as "really horrible" to Reuters news agency. She argued that Mladić "deserved to be erased from memory for good, not to be... promoted as a hero." Gvozdjar insisted, "He should be remembered only as a butcher."

Daniella Peled, Editor at the Institute of War and Peace Reporting NGO, analyzed the attendance, noting that thousands came because Mladić "remains a figure of national pride and defiance" to many in Serbia. However, she highlighted a critical disconnect between local memory and historical fact. While the war crimes tribunal provided an "incredibly detailed historical record of Mladić's crimes," Peled told the BBC that the Serbian media and education system "has not reflected the true scale of his crimes or the perspectives of victims and survivors."

Ratko Mladić Legacy Shapes Balkan Relations

The Ratko Madić funeral in Belgrade illustrates the profound divergence between international legal accountability and domestic nationalist narratives in post-conflict societies. As Serbia continues its complex path toward EU integration, the tension between honoring historical figures and upholding European values remains a critical hurdle. The EU’s stern rejection of the glorification of war criminals signals that such nationalist displays will not be ignored by Brussels, likely influencing future diplomatic interactions. Meanwhile, the continued reverence for Mladić within parts of the Serbian population and Republika Srpska suggests that reconciliation efforts regarding the Srebrenica massacre will face significant resistance. Without comprehensive educational reforms that address the perspectives of victims, the memory of these crimes will likely remain a contentious political tool, hindering long-term regional stability and mutual understanding in the Balkans.