On September 7, 2026, thousands of people assembled in Belgrade for the funeral of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military leader convicted of war crimes. The large turnout occurred despite explicit warnings issued by the European Union regarding the handling of the former war criminal’s burial.
Images from the scene showed Serbian army servicemen standing guard around Mladić’s coffin while attendees engaged in religious rituals, including one individual kissing a cross beside the casket. The gathering has intensified debates over whether the state-sponsored farewell serves as a monument to a controversial historical figure rather than a solemn commemoration.
The European Union had cautioned that the event risked being politicized, raising concerns that the funeral could be used to promote nationalist narratives in the region. Mladić, who was found responsible for atrocities during the Bosnian War, died while serving a life sentence, prompting immediate diplomatic scrutiny over how his legacy is being treated in Serbia.
A massive turnout for someone responsible for such atrocities? This politicization of history only sets the Balkans back decades.
Did anyone at the funeral really discuss the Srebrenica victims? The lack of remorse displayed is the real tragedy here.
Watching servicemen guard the coffin feels less like a funeral and more like state propaganda. How dangerous for regional stability.
Why does the international community care so much? Serbia has every right to bury its dead according to its traditions.
It is deeply unsettling to see thousands honoring a convicted war criminal. The EU’s warnings were justified.