Serbia Faces EU Scrutiny over Upcoming Funeral of Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladic
EU officials say any state honors for Ratko Mladić could weaken member-state support and slow Serbia’s accession talks.
- On Friday, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos warned that Ratko Mladić's funeral will be "a very important test" for Serbia's European Union accession bid.
- Mladić was convicted of orchestrating the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, where forces killed more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims; the European Union maintains that glorifying convicted war criminals contradicts membership values.
- President Aleksandar Vucic stated the family will decide on funeral arrangements, contradicting earlier claims from Justice Minister Nenad Vujic that Mladić would receive full state honors.
- International officials have condemned potential glorification: Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot called state honors "shameful and disrespectful for the victims," while Council of Europe Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty urged authorities to counter such acts.
- Belgrade's alignment with the bloc's foreign policy stands at 60%, the lowest among candidates; Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned that granting highest honors would be the "equivalent of slamming the door to the European Union yourself.
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Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos cancelled a visit to Serbia on Friday after the large-scale reception in Belgrade of the remains of Ratko Mladic, who was sentenced for genocide and war crimes.
Associated Press News
Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
The European Union says it is closely watching how Serbia, one of its candidates for membership, will handle the funeral of the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who was convicted of genocide by a U.N. court but remains a hero to many Serbs.
Serbia's public tribute to convicted war crimes leader Ratko Mladic risks undermining the country's relations with the European Union, the bloc warned on the eve of his funeral, Politico reported, citing News.bg. The former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war died last week in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity. His coffin, draped in the Serbian flag, was flown to Belgrad…
EU warns Serbia Mladić funeral is 'important test' for membership bid
EU's enlargement chief Marta Kos says Belgrade's handling of the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, known as the Butcher of Bosnia, will be a test for Serbia’s EU path and could impact its membership bid.
The European Union is closely monitoring how Serbia, a candidate for membership, will organize the funeral of Ratko Mladic after his remains from The Hague were brought to Belgrade.
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