# Thousands gather in Belgrade for funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić

> Thousands of people turned out in the Serbian capital of Belgrade to attend the funeral of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military leader. The event drew sharp condemnation from the European Union.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Europe · **Published:** 2026-09-07 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/europe/thousands-gather-in-belgrade-for-funeral-of-convicted-war-criminal-ratko-mladic-29120 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Ratko Mladic, Serbia, Belgrade, Bosnian War, War Crimes

Thousands of people have gathered in Serbia's capital city of Belgrade to attend the funeral proceedings of Ratko Mladić, the convicted war criminal widely referred to as the Butcher of Bosnia. The public memorial and burial events have drawn intense international scrutiny and renewed debates over how post-conflict nations confront their turbulent histories.

## Death in a United Nations Prison
Ratko Mladić passed away at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence inside a United Nations detention facility located in The Hague, Netherlands. He had been found guilty of genocide by an international war crimes tribunal for his central role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. During that dark chapter, approximately 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were systematically killed, an atrocity widely documented as Europe's worst mass killing since the Second World War.

## European Union Condemnation and Political Fallout
Initial statements from a Serbian government minister suggested that Mladić would receive a state funeral, but those plans were altered following strong diplomatic objections from European leaders. On Monday, the European Union issued a sharp denunciation regarding the public glorification of the deceased commander. The official statement emphasized that Mladić was a convicted war criminal responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and severe violations of international law. The EU reiterated that any glorification of individuals convicted of such atrocities or the denial of genocide directly contradicts core European values and has no place within member states or official candidate countries. Serbia has maintained candidate status for EU membership since 2012, though formal accession talks have encountered significant stagnation in recent years.

## The 1990s Conflict and Arrest Timeline
During the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Mladić commanded the Bosnian Serb military forces as they engaged in armed conflict with opposing Bosnian Croat and Bosniak armies. Throughout the 1992 to 1995 Bosnian war, forces under his direct command carried out campaigns of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing across Bosnia-Herzegovina aimed at expelling non-Serb populations. His troops also maintained a prolonged military siege of the capital city of Sarajevo, which resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 civilians. Following years as a fugitive, Mladić was captured in 2011, sixteen years after his initial indictment, and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 after a lengthy nine-year judicial process.

## Public Reverie and Church Memorial Services
Despite his formal conviction for genocide, Mladić continues to be viewed by many nationalists in Serbia and parts of the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska as a national defender and hero. Vigils and tributes were held in various areas following the announcement of his death. Ahead of the burial, several high-ranking Serbian government officials, including Defence Minister Bratislav Gašić and Justice Minister Nenad Vujić, joined the crowds paying their respects outside the church where his body lay in state, according to local media reports.

The funeral service was presided over by the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, who delivered remarks stating that Mladić's name would remain deeply engraved in the prayers and memory of the faithful who felt a profound sense of gratitude toward him. Long queues formed outside the modest St Luka church early in the morning as army veterans, supporters draped in flags bearing his portrait, and mourners waited to enter. Outside, crowds gathered hours before the service, lighting candles while choir music played over loudspeakers in the sunlight.

Inside the church, the coffin was guarded primarily by former war veterans while family members received condolences from mourners. In a demonstration of the official reverence shown to the former general, his coffin was flown back to Serbia the previous week aboard a government aircraft, carried by six soldiers draped in national flags. Authorities also arranged free bus transportation from various towns across Serbia and neighboring regions for individuals wishing to attend the memorial.

However, the public tributes have deeply distressed survivors and victims of the wartime violence. Zdravka Gvozdjar, a resident of Sarajevo whose nine-year-old son was killed by forces under Mladić's command during the city's siege, told Reuters that holding such a public funeral in Belgrade was deeply distressing. She stated that he deserved to be erased from collective memory rather than promoted as a national figure.

Daniella Peled, an editor at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting who covered the tribunal proceedings, noted that while the war crimes court established an exhaustive historical record, the educational systems and media environments in the region have often failed to fully reflect the scale of the atrocities or the suffering of survivors. Pro-government media outlets have frequently portrayed him as a dutiful soldier executing orders, illustrating the ongoing challenges of national reconciliation and accountability in post-conflict societies.

## What this means for you
The public funeral of Ratko Mladić and the resulting international reactions carry significant diplomatic and political implications for the region.

- **European Relations:** The high-profile memorial and involvement of officials have drawn sharp rebukes from the European Union, potentially complicating Serbia's path toward EU membership.
- **Regional Tensions:** The public displays of reverence have reignited painful memories and diplomatic friction between Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and regional neighbors.
- **Domestic Politics:** The participation of government ministers highlights the enduring influence of nationalist sentiments within contemporary Serbian politics and public life.
- **Victim Advocacy:** For survivors and families who lost loved ones during the 1990s conflict, the public commemoration underscores the ongoing difficulties of achieving genuine historical reconciliation.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who was Ratko Mladić?
Ratko Mladić was the former Bosnian Serb military commander who was convicted of genocide and war crimes by a UN tribunal.

### 2. Where did Ratko Mladić die?
He died at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence in a UN detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands.

### 3. Where was the funeral held?
His funeral took place in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, drawing thousands of mourners and supporters.

### 4. What was the European Union's reaction to the funeral?
The EU strongly denounced the public memorial and the glorification of a convicted war criminal, stating it contradicts core European values.

### 5. What specific crimes was he convicted of?
He was found guilty of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and various crimes against humanity during the Bosnian war.

### 6. Which government officials attended the events?
Local media reported that several Serbian ministers, including Defence Minister Bratislav Gašić and Justice Minister Nenad Vujić, paid their respects.

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