Bosnian Serbs Hold Candlelit Vigils for Convicted War Criminal Mladic

Hundreds of Bosnian Serbs gathered in East Sarajevo on Friday evening for candlelit vigils honouring Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander who died on Thursday at the age of 84. Mladic was serving a life sentence after being convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity by a United Nations tribunal for his role in the 1990s Balkan wars.

For many in the Serbian entity of Bosnia, Mladic remains a national hero rather than a convicted criminal. The local church organised vigils in several towns across the region, with attendees lighting candles, flares, and taking part in prayers led by priests.

Mourners expressed deep reverence for the late general. One resident, Pavle Boric, described Mladic as "the best man we had in history," adding that he had led them to victories. Another attendee, Sladjana Sljivic, asked rhetorically what would have happened to the Serbian people without his fighting, questioning whether they would still be able to write in Cyrillic or practice their faith.

Dragan Stevanovic, a former Serbian soldier, said he came to pay respects and give thanks for what Mladic did for the Serbian people, describing the atmosphere as emotional.

The vigils come amid ongoing tensions over Mladic's legacy. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday criticised the UN war crimes court in The Hague for refusing Mladic's early release on humanitarian grounds, calling the decision "uncivilized behaviour." Mladic's family and the Serbian government had repeatedly requested his release due to his age and poor health.

Mladic died a week after the UN rejected his latest request for release. He had been in custody since 2011 and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017, a ruling widely seen as a landmark step toward justice for victims of the Bosnian war.