Serbia Buries Convicted War Criminal Mladic With Military Honors (2026-09-07)

Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military commander who died while serving a life sentence for genocide and other war crimes, was laid to rest in Belgrade on Monday. The funeral drew thousands of mourners and proceeded with full military honors, despite warnings from the European Union against public displays of homage.

Mladic, who died at the age of 84 in a Dutch prison on August 27, was convicted in 2017 for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed. He was also found guilty of orchestrating the siege of Sarajevo and other atrocities during the Bosnian conflict.

The ceremony took place at the small Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Luke, where his body had lain in state. His officer's cap and saber were placed on the flag-draped coffin, which was guarded by men in fatigues. Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Porfirije led the funeral service, and army soldiers carried the coffin to the cemetery as a military band played.

Among the attendees were Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik and Russia's ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko. The event was broadcast live by pro-government media outlets.

Speaking at the funeral, Mladic's son, Darko, said his father had "reunited the Serbian people in his death, for the second time." Many mourners expressed admiration for the late commander, with one local resident calling him a "savior of the Serbian people." Mladic remains a revered figure for many Serbs who view him as a defender rather than a war criminal.