- Ratko Mladic died in The Hague, as reported by Serbian TV.
- Serbia's Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić announced that convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic will be buried with the “highest military and state honors,” according to the country's state-run broadcaster.
- The burial location would be decided by the Mladic family, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that if the family wishes, Serbia will organize everything in a decent and dignified manner.
- Srebrenica survivor Emir Suljagic said Mladic’s death “does not change much” and stressed the need to keep the truth, responsibility, and memory alive.
- The plans to honor Mladic sparked criticism from pro-European opposition but were welcomed by nationalists, and some pro-government media referred to him as a hero.
- The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences and criticized the ICTY, while Mladic was mourned in Republika Srpska, where the Prime Minister praised him as a national hero.
Serbia's Minister of Justice, Nenad Vujić, announced that Ratko Mladić, the convicted war criminal known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia,' will be buried with 'highest military and state honors.' Mladić, who died at 84 after serving 15 years for genocide, orchestrated horrific war crimes during the Balkan wars, including the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre.2
More than 10,000 people died during the two-year siege of Sarajevo, and over 7,000 Muslims, mostly men and boys, were slaughtered in Srebrenica in July 1995. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found him guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, persecution, extermination, murder, terror, unlawful attacks on civilians, and hostage-taking.91011
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that if the family wishes for him to be buried in Serbia, they will organize everything in a 'decent and dignified manner.' The plans to honor Mladić have sparked criticism from pro-European opposition, while many nationalists welcomed the decision. Emir Suljagic, a Srebrenica survivor, remarked that Mladić's death 'does not change much,' emphasizing the need to preserve the truth and memory of the victims.3478
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences and criticized the ICTY, claiming that the trial and detention conditions disregarded Mladić's basic rights. Meanwhile, the entity's Prime Minister Savo Minić praised him as a national hero, with memorial events held across the region.
“Srebrenica survivor Emir Suljagic said Mladic's death 'does not change much' and urged keeping truth and memory alive. The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed condolences and criticized the ICTY, while Republika Srpska's PM praised Mladic as a national hero.”
