OddsFrontRatko Mladic buried in Belgrade as EU warns against glorifying war criminals
Thousands attended the convicted commander's funeral, while European and UN statements placed victims, established judicial findings and regional reconciliation at the centre of their response.
Thousands gathered in Belgrade on September 7 for the funeral of former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, whose convictions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes were upheld on appeal. The ceremony took place as the European Union reiterated that glorification of convicted war criminals is incompatible with its values, including in countries seeking membership.
Sky News reported crowds outside the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Luke and a service led by Patriarch Porfirije. Its account identified Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik and Russia's ambassador to Serbia among those attending. Meduza's separately published photographic report also documented the farewell and said the burial took place at Belgrade's Topcider cemetery.
A ceremony with diplomatic consequences
Meduza reported that Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic attended, while describing the funeral as having no state-funeral status. Both outlets described soldiers carrying the flag-covered coffin. Their accounts differ over other ceremonial honours, so those details remain unresolved. The presence of senior figures gives the gathering significance beyond a private family farewell, particularly because Serbia is seeking admission to the European Union.
In a statement dated September 7, the EU diplomatic service said genocide denial, historical revisionism and the glorification of war criminals have no place in either the bloc or candidate countries. It linked reconciliation and good relations between neighbours to the Western Balkans' future. The statement announced no accession penalty; its immediate significance is the standard Brussels is publicly asking regional governments to uphold.
The judicial record remains final
The United Nations had acknowledged Mladic's death in an August 27 statement. It confirmed that he was serving a life sentence following his 2017 conviction and that the conviction and punishment were affirmed on June 8, 2021. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed solidarity with victims and survivors and stressed that the courts' findings remain part of the established historical record.
That distinction matters as public commemoration brings wartime loyalties back into view: a funeral does not reopen the verdict. The UN specifically condemned denial of the Srebrenica genocide and actions celebrating people convicted by international courts. The diplomatic question now is how Serbian officials respond to the EU's stated expectations on remembrance and reconciliation. The inspected statements establish those expectations, but provide no timetable for further measures or negotiations.