Serbia receives war criminal Ratko Mladić's body with military honors

The body of former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of war crimes against Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats during the Bosnian War as well as the Srebrenica Genocide, was transported from the Netherlands to Serbia on a state aircraft.

Mladić's coffin, who passed away on August 27 in the prison where he was held in The Hague, was received in Belgrade with military honors. Mladić's son, Darko Mladić, and Serbian Minister of Justice Nenad Vujic were present during the arrival of the body in the country.

COFFIN DRAPED IN FLAGS

The coffin, draped in the flags of Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was taken to a military hospital in Belgrade under police escort following the ceremony at the airport.

It was reported that some groups, consisting mostly of young men who gathered on highways and bridges during the convoy's passage, unfurled banners praising Mladić and lit flares.

The United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found Mladić guilty of genocide and war crimes in 2017 and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Mladić was among the primary figures associated with the killing of thousands of Bosniak civilians, particularly in Srebrenica in 1995.

EU MEMBERSHIP DEBATE

Serbian Minister of Justice Nenad Vujic had announced that Mladić was planned to be buried on Monday, September 7, with military and state honors. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, meanwhile, limited his comments to saying that the ceremony would be "in accordance with the wishes of Mladić's family."

The plan in question was met with backlash in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Croatia and the European Union. The Croatian government announced that it could block Serbia's EU membership process if Mladić is buried with state honors.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also stated that if Serbia organizes the highest level of state and military honors for war criminal Mladić, the doors of the European Union would close to Serbia.

The glorification of war criminals is contrary to fundamental European values. There is no place for this in the EU or in countries aiming to become members of the union.

News Source: 12punto