Serbia laid Ratko Mladic’s body to rest in Belgrade with military honors, despite warnings from the European Union

The body of Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serbs sentenced to life in prison for genocide and war crimes, was laid to rest on Monday at St. Luke’s Orthodox Church in Belgrade. The ceremony took place despite warnings from the European Union against organizing public tributes to the former military leader.

Thousands of people came to pay their final respects. The coffin, covered with the Serbian flag, was flanked by soldiers, while Mladic’s cap and sword were placed on it. Pro-government media reported that the former commander was due to receive full military honors. Police closed nearby streets as the crowd gathered.

Mladic died on August 27 at the age of 84 in The Hague, where he was serving his sentence for the Srebrenica genocide, the siege of Sarajevo and other crimes committed during the war in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos canceled her visit to Serbia, saying that glorifying Mladic is incompatible with European values. Belgrade continues to refuse to characterize the Srebrenica massacre as genocide, while Serbia’s accession to the EU is blocked by democratic backsliding and its stance toward Russia.”,