Ratko Mladic's Body Returned to Belgrade Amid Controversy and Military Honours

The body of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died last week while serving a life sentence for war crimes, has returned to Belgrade for burial and was received with military honours.

Transported on a Serbian government plane departing from The Hague, Netherlands, the casket was draped in the national flag. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had previously operated from The Hague before completing its mandate.

Ratko Mladic passed away last week in a UN detention facility at the age of 84, having been convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The UN court confirmed that his remains were handed over to his next of kin at Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Upon arrival in Belgrade, the coffin was carried by six soldiers. Accompanying them were Ratko Mladic's son, Darko, and Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic. Minister Vujic stated that the family would announce funeral plans shortly, while pro-government media indicated a military commemoration is planned for Saturday followed by a Monday funeral. State security and police predictions suggest tens of thousands might attend the services.

Despite his conviction by the UN tribunal, many Serbs continue to view Ratko Mladic as a hero. Vigils and marches held in his honour have sparked widespread condemnation across an ethnically divided region still impacted by the aftermath of the former Yugoslavia's breakup.

The Bosnian War began when Bosnia’s Serbs seized large parts of the country to establish their own state. Serbia, a wartime backer of the Bosnian Serbs, has accused the West and The Hague tribunal of bias and failing to deliver justice for Serbian victims. The conflict resulted in over 100,000 deaths and displaced more than 1 million people before concluding with a United States-brokered peace agreement in 1995. The war included the Srebrenica massacre, recognized as Europe's first acknowledged genocide since World War II.

The tribunal in The Hague expressed solidarity with victims, survivors, and families, strongly condemning any glorification of individuals convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Meanwhile, although formally pursuing European Union entry, Serbia maintains a defiant stance regarding its wartime role, prompting a warning from the EU’s enlargement commissioner that the glorification of war criminals is incompatible with EU membership or candidacy.