Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the organization of the funeral of former Yugoslav general Ratko Mladic, who was sentenced to life for genocide and died in the prison hospital in The Hague yesterday, depends solely on the wishes of his family, BTA reported.
“The Hague wanted him to die behind bars(...) If Ratko Mladic's family wishes for him to be buried in Serbia, the state will organize everything in a dignified and decent manner,” Vucic said.
Vucic's statement comes hours after Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vucic announced that since Mladic is a former general, according to protocol requirements, he will be buried with the highest military and state honors.
Serbian president called "untruths" that insult the family, media reports that Ratko Mladic will be buried in Belgrade at the Topčider cemetery next to his late daughter Ana, who committed suicide under unclear circumstances at the age of 23 with his personal weapon in 1994.
Vučić added that he had discussed with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik whether Republika Srpska or Serbia would take over most of the funeral, but they were still waiting for information on when The Hague would release the body.
Born on March 12, 1942 in the small mountain village of Božanovići in Republika Srpska, Ratko Mladić took command of the Bosnian Serb troops at the outbreak of the Bosnian war in 1992 and established control over large areas of the country with the aim of creating a Serbian mini-state.
The Secretary General of the European Democratic Party (EDP) and member of the European Parliament Sandro Goci said that “Serbia's decision to bury Ratko Mladic with full state honors“ crosses a line that no country aspiring to membership in the European Union should ever cross.
Sandro Goci is one of the harshest critics of Aleksandar Vucic's government, which has especially intensified since the start of mass anti-government protests that arose after an incident at the Novi Sad train station in late 2024, where 16 people died and one was seriously injured, Serbian media recall.