The funeral ceremony for Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, convicted of war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, took place in Belgrade. The ceremony was attended by thousands of people and featured special military honors, provoking strong reactions about the way a person convicted of some of the most serious crimes of the wars in the former Yugoslavia was escorted to Belgrade.
Mladić’s body was first displayed at the Church of St. Luke the Apostle in Košutnjak, where citizens and supporters gathered to pay their last respects. Then, family, friends and thousands of supporters set off in a procession to the Topčider cemetery, where he was buried next to his daughter, Ana. The religious ceremony was led by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, accompanied by a number of bishops. In his speech, the patriarch spoke about death, eternal life and the Christian faith, saying that prayer is for the salvation of every person.
His son, Darko Mladic, also took the floor, addressing his father directly in front of the audience. He described his father as a man who had fought and sacrificed for the Serbian people and said that he is “equal to historical figures of Serbia”. Darko Mladic also stated that his father had been killed in The Hague and accused international courts of treating him badly. After the speech, a gunshot ceremony was held in honor of him.
The ceremony also featured symbols of military tradition. The coffin was draped in the Serbian flag and accompanied by military music on the way to the grave. Footage from the ceremony has brought one of the most controversial figures of the 90s wars in the former Yugoslavia back into the spotlight. For the victims and their families, the public tributes to Mladic are painful, while in Serbia the heroism of war criminals continues.
Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including his role in the siege of Sarajevo and the massacre in the city. The EU also found the images of the funeral in Serbia shocking.