Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty has condemned public tributes to convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic in Bosnia and Serbia following his death.
O'Flaherty warned that public glorification of the convicted war criminal constitutes a crime under the law of Bosnia and Herzegovina and falls outside the protections of freedom of expression.
The commissioner stated that he was disgusted by the public apotheosis of Mladic, who died in prison in The Hague on August 27 at the age of 84. He explicitly called on authorities in the region to oppose the public glorification of convicted war criminals, emphasizing that such actions violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
Mladic served as the chief commander of the Bosnian Serb army during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, a conflict that resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths. In 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague sentenced him to life imprisonment after convicting him of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Known as the butcher of Bosnia, Mladic was primarily convicted for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. He was the son of a World War II Partisan fighter and was recorded handing out sweets to children in Srebrenica shortly before Serb forces began mass executions.
Rallies in Banja Luka and Belgrade
The warning from the Council of Europe followed large public gatherings in both Bosnia and Serbia honoring the former commander. In Banja Luka, thousands of people assembled in Krajina Square on Tuesday evening to pay tribute to Mladic. Demonstrators carried flags of Republika Srpska and banners bearing his image before marching to a local war memorial.
Banja Luka is the administrative capital of Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity formed within Bosnia and Herzegovina under the 1995 Dayton Agreement.
In Serbia, a government-owned aircraft brought Mladic's body to Belgrade on September 3, where it was received with military honors. Police officers and citizens lined the route through Belgrade, saluting as the procession passed to pay their final respects.
Funeral Plans and Government Support
Mladic is expected to be buried with full state and military honors in Serbia. The Mladic family will make the final decision regarding the exact date, time, and location of the burial.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that state authorities would provide full support for the funeral and ensure public order during the ceremony. Vucic had previously criticized the United Nations tribunal in The Hague, accusing judges of uncivilized behavior for rejecting requests to allow Mladic to return to Serbia before his death.
International Human Rights Framework
The Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France, is the continent's leading human rights institution and oversees compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights. Under Bosnian criminal law, public denial, condoning, or glorification of genocide and war crimes established by international courts carries criminal penalties.
