Serbian officials allow public homage to former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic despite EU objections

Belgrade hosted a public viewing of the late Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader who died while serving a life sentence for war crimes, on Monday. The ceremony took place at the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Luke, where his coffin was displayed with a military cap and saber, and was attended by clergy, Serbian officials and nationalist politicians.

Patriarch Porfirije led the service, and pro-government media reported that Mladic would receive full military honors at his burial. Among the attendees were Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik and Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko.

The European Union, which is reviewing Serbia’s accession bid, issued a statement that any “glorification of war criminals, genocide denial and revisionism” conflicts with European values. EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos cancelled a planned visit to Serbia in protest, saying the tribute to Mladic is incompatible with the bloc’s standards.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who did not attend the ceremony, described the gathering as an “emotional outpouring” unrelated to government approval and accused Western critics of bias toward Serbia.

Mladic had been convicted in 2017 for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the siege of Sarajevo and other atrocities, including the establishment of detention camps. Since his death, supporters have organized vigils and displayed his image in public spaces.

The ceremony has drawn condemnation from victims’ groups, including the Mothers of Srebrenica, who called the event a “glorification of genocide.”