Mladic buried with military honours

What's happened

Thousands have attended the funeral of Ratko Mladic in Belgrade after his body was flown from The Hague. Serbia has provided military honours and government participation while EU officials and rights bodies have condemned the public glorification. The ceremony has deepened regional tensions and renewed scrutiny of Serbia's EU ambitions.

What's behind the headline?

Who is driving the coverage

• The Serbian state and nationalist networks are foregrounding ceremony and honour: government planes returned the body, soldiers carried a flag-wrapped coffin and pro-government media staged images of military pageantry. That framing is designed to present Mladic as a dignified figure to domestic audiences.

Why officials are reacting now

• EU officials are responding because Serbia is an EU accession candidate. Marta Kos has cancelled a visit and called the funeralrelated honours incompatible with EU values. That is a direct political lever: Brussels is linking accession optics to how Serbia treats convicted war criminals.

What this will do next

• The funeral will increase diplomatic pressure on Belgrade. EU politicians and rights bodies will intensify public criticism and could delay technical accession steps. Domestically, the ceremonies will deepen polarisation: nationalists will be energised while civil society and victims' groups will harden demands for accountability.

Broader consequences

• This will keep the Srebrenica legacy alive in regional politics. Republika Srpska leaders and sympathetic neighbouring politicians will use the moment to rally support, which will sustain inter-ethnic tensions in Bosnia and complicate international reconciliation efforts.

Short forecast

• Expect headline diplomatic responses and stalled EU talks in the near term; expect more public displays by Mladic supporters in Serbia and Republika Srpska; expect intensified appeals from victims' groups for legal and moral condemnation.

How we got here

Ratko Mladic has died while serving a life sentence in The Hague for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity from the 1992–95 Bosnian war. His conviction followed the Srebrenica massacre, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. Serbia has long been divided over his legacy.

Our analysis

Al Jazeera reported that Mladic's body lay in state at St. Luke church and that the main service was led by Patriarch Porfirije, with police blocking city areas and thousands arriving to pay respects (Al Jazeera, 07 Sep). The Independent noted that the coffin was wrapped in the Serbian flag and that EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos cancelled a planned visit, saying "the glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built" (Independent, 07 Sep). France 24 described soldiers and men in fatigues flanking the coffin and quoted mourners calling Mladic "a man who gave everything in his life for the Serbian people" while also reporting that Belgrade sent a government plane to retrieve the remains and held a military commemoration (France 24, 07 Sep). Bloomberg and other outlets recorded President Aleksandar Vucic's absence and his aides' comments that funeral logistics had been left to the family, while noting his political posture ahead of elections (Bloomberg, 04 Sep; Independent, 04 Sep). Victims' groups and European officials provided contrasting voices: the Council of Europe commissioner Michael O'Flaherty urged authorities to counter glorification, and families of Srebrenica victims said Mladic dying in prison represented some justice (Independent, 04–07 Sep). Together, the sources show a split narrative: Serbian officials and sections of the public are presenting ceremonial honour and national mourning, while EU institutions and rights bodies are publicly condemning any glorification of a convicted war criminal.

Go deeper

• Will the EU make formal moves to pause Serbia's accession process over the funeral?
• Will Serbian authorities limit future public commemorations for convicted war criminals?

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