Serbia accused of ‘glorifying’ convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić ahead of funeral
Thousands of people attended the funeral of Ratko Mladic after his body lay in state in Belgrade on Monday. The Serbian government ignored European Union warnings against allowing public homage to the former Bosnian Serb commander. Mladic died while serving a life sentence for war crimes, including the first case of genocide in Europe since World War II. The event coincided with fan-led tributes at a football match, where a large tifo honored the convicted war criminal.
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- ✓ Ratko Mladic died while serving a life sentence for war crimes.
- ✓ Mladic was found guilty of the first case of genocide in Europe since World War II.
- ✓ The body of Ratko Mladic lay in state on Monday in the Serbian capital.
- ✓ Serbia ignored European Union warnings against allowing public homage to Mladic.
What changed
Thousands of people attended the funeral following a period where the body lay in state.
Live updates
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Thousands attend funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic in Serbia
Thousands of people attended the funeral of Ratko Mladic after his body lay in state in Belgrade on Monday. The Serbian government ignored European Union warnings against allowing public homage to the former Bosnian Serb commander. Mladic died while serving a life sentence for war crimes, including the first case of genocide in Europe since World War II. The event coincided with fan-led tributes at a football match, where a large tifo honored the convicted war criminal.
Why it matters
Mladic was known as the Butcher of Bosnia. His conviction for genocide in the 1990s makes these public tributes a point of international diplomatic tension. The Serbian government previously dismissed EU condemnation of the commemorations as stupid.
What is confirmed
- Ratko Mladic died while serving a life sentence for war crimes.
- Mladic was found guilty of the first case of genocide in Europe since World War II.
- The body of Ratko Mladic lay in state on Monday in the Serbian capital.
- Serbia ignored European Union warnings against allowing public homage to Mladic.
- Thousands of people attended the funeral of Ratko Mladic.
Still unconfirmed
- Ratko Mladic received full military honors during his funeral.
- Fans of the football club Crvena Zvezda displayed a tifo honoring Mladic.
What to watch next
- Official diplomatic responses from the European Union following the funeral
- Further statements from Serbian leadership regarding the international backlash
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (4)
- www.nbcnews.com — Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital ahead of funeral
- www.cnn.com — War criminal Ratko Mladić to receive full military honors in funeral as crowds gather
- www.nytimes.com — Crvena Zvezda and Ratko Mladic: Why is a famous European club celebrating a war criminal?
- www.aljazeera.com — Thousands attend funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic in Serbia
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Serbia Accused of Glorifying War Criminal Ratko Mladic
Serbia faces intense international condemnation for glorifying convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic following his death while serving a life sentence. Mladic's body was returned to Serbia on a government plane and lay in state in Belgrade ahead of his funeral. While authorities maintained there were no state honors, the commemorations drew sharp rebukes. A senior European Union official canceled a planned trip to Serbia over the tributes, prompting Serbian leadership to dismiss the condemnation as stupid. Critics argue that honoring the man known as the Butcher of Bosnia continues the denial of genocide.
Why it matters
Ratko Mladic commanded Bosnian Serb forces during the 1990s conflicts and was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, including the Srebrenica massacre. His death and subsequent homecoming have deeply divided a nation where many citizens and officials still fail to frankly reckon with his crimes. The controversy severely strains Serbia's diplomatic relations with the European Union as the country pursues integration.
What is confirmed
- The body of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic was returned to Serbia on a government plane for his funeral.
- Ratko Mladic lay in state in the Serbian capital ahead of his burial.
- A senior European Union official canceled a trip to Serbia over planned tributes to Mladic.
- Serbian leadership slammed the European Union condemnation of the Mladic tributes as stupid.
What to watch next
- Official attendance lists and foreign dignitary representation at the funeral
- Further European Union diplomatic measures regarding Serbia accession talks following the tributes
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (12)
- The Guardian — Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, could not escape death. But his fascist ideas and ideology live on | Ed Vulliamy
- NBC News — Serbia accused of ‘glorifying’ convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić ahead of funeral
- Al Jazeera — Senior EU official cancels Serbia trip over planned tribute to Mladic
- The Hill — Honoring the ‘butcher of Bosnia’ continues the denial of genocide
- dw.com — Serbia: How the funeral of Ratko Mladic is dividing a nation
- Reuters — Body of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic returns to Serbia in government plane
- The Boston Globe — Last week, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ died. Here’s how one Revere man survived the worst of his atrocities.
- Jacobin — In Serbia, Few Frankly Reckon With Ratko Mladić’s Crimes
- Euronews.com — Bosnian Serb war criminal Mladić commemorated in Belgrade, but no state honours
- AP News — Body of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic returned to Serbia for funeral
- Balkan Insight — Serbia’s Vucic Slates EU Condemnation of Mladic Tributes as ‘Stupid’
- apnews.com — Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital ahead of funeral
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