Belgrade is bracing for a large turnout on Monday as the remains of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of genocide, are laid to rest. The funeral, however, will proceed without state honours, serving officials, or ceremonial military presence, a decision that reflects the delicate balancing act facing Serbia as it navigates European pressure.
Mladić died last week while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed during the 1992–1995 Bosnian War. His body was flown from The Hague to Belgrade on a government plane on Thursday, accompanied by Serbia's Justice Minister Nenad Vujić, Mladić's son Darko, and two former army assistants. Soldiers carried the flag-draped coffin to an unmarked van, which was then escorted by police along the city's main motorway.
The body was taken to a military hospital for an autopsy before being displayed at a church near Košutnjak cemetery on Monday morning, where the burial will take place later in the day. Despite initial statements from Vujić suggesting that Mladić would receive "all the military and state honours," the family later announced that the ceremony would be a private affair. No serving officials, including President Aleksandar Vučić, the prime minister, or the speaker of parliament, are expected to attend. There will be no artillery salutes, and Mladić will not be interred in the Alley of the Greats or the Alley of Distinguished Citizens, despite requests to that effect.
Saturday's commemoration at the House of the Serbian Army, which also drew no government officials, was organised not by the state but by an association of retired generals. Mladić's family has said he will be buried next to his daughter, who died by suicide in the 1990s.
EU warnings and Serbian response
The handling of Mladić's death has become a flashpoint in Serbia's relations with the European Union. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos cancelled a planned visit to Belgrade on Friday, stating that "the glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built." She added that Mladić's conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes should serve as a reminder of Europe's darkest pages.
Serbian authorities have rejected accusations of glorification, insisting that the state is not involved in organising the events. President Vučić, who is on a domestic tour to showcase infrastructure projects, said he would not attend the funeral due to a previously scheduled visit by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. "I have spoken to the Mladić family and I wish it all passes in a dignified way," Vučić said, adding that security forces expect "tens of thousands" of mourners, making it "a demanding job for our services."
The controversy has also raised questions about Serbia's EU accession prospects. Brussels has long made clear that reconciliation with the wartime past is a prerequisite for membership. The EU's warning that the funeral could derail accession talks underscores the stakes. Meanwhile, some EU member states are pushing for reforms to the bloc's decision-making, with eleven states seeking to curb foreign policy vetoes, a move that could affect how such issues are handled in the future.
A dark legacy
Mladić, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," led the Bosnian Serb military campaign that aimed to ethnically cleanse large parts of Bosnia of Bosniaks and Croats. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found him guilty of genocide for orchestrating the summary execution of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995, the worst massacre on European soil since World War II. He was also convicted for the siege of Sarajevo, where his troops subjected residents to nearly four years of daily shelling and sniping.
The war in Bosnia, which began after the republic declared independence in 1992, claimed more than 100,000 lives and displaced over two million people. Mladić's admirers, who view him as a hero, are expected to gather in large numbers on Monday. President Vučić has acknowledged the security challenge, saying that police and state security agencies are prepared to use all available resources to ensure safety.
Belgrade has also contributed to Mladić's personal expenses and family visits while he was in detention in The Hague, and repeatedly sought his early release on humanitarian grounds due to his declining health. Those efforts, along with the current commemorations, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and neighbouring countries, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the wounds of the war remain raw.
As Serbia continues its EU path, the handling of Mladić's legacy will remain a test of its commitment to European values. The funeral on Monday, while not a state event, will be closely watched in Brussels and across the region.
