Thousands attend funeral of convicted Bosnian war criminal Ratko Mladic in Serbia

Former Bosnian Serb commander Radovan Mlađić, sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1990s Bosnian conflict, remains a focal point of regional tension as the European Union cautioned Belgrade against any public glorification of the convicted war criminal. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found Mlađić responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo, and he has been incarcerated in a high‑security prison in The Hague since his 2017 conviction.

In a statement issued this week, the EU warned that attempts to honor Mlađić—through commemorative events, monuments or public rhetoric—would breach Serbia’s accession commitments and could impede its EU integration process. The warning follows recent reports of gatherings in Serbian towns that praised the former leader, prompting diplomatic concerns in Brussels. EU officials emphasized that respect for the rule of law and the rights of victims must guide Serbia’s domestic policies, underscoring that any deviation could result in further scrutiny of the country's reform agenda.