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Thousands pay respects to war criminal Mladic in Serbia despite EU warnings
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide and war crimes, died while serving a life sentence and was honored with a public funeral in Belgrade despite EU warnings against glorifying him.
- Thousands of Serbian mourners, including nationalist leaders and the Serbian Orthodox Church patriarch, paid tribute to Mladic, who remains viewed as a hero by many Serbs.
- The EU and victims' groups condemned the funeral and public homage, emphasizing that glorification of war criminals and genocide denial contradict fundamental European values.
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic defended the public reaction as an emotional outpouring and criticized the West for perceived anti-Serb bias, while Serbia remains defiant amid its EU membership bid.
- The funeral has heightened tensions between Serbia and the EU, with some officials canceling visits and expressing concern over Serbia's handling of its wartime legacy.
