A mural honoring Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, has been painted in the Serbian municipality of Obrenovac following his reported death last month.
The mural, unveiled on September 2, features a portrait of Mladić alongside the message: “I will live as long as our tribe and our people exist. Even those who do not want to will make the sign of the cross.”
Serbian pro-government outlet Novosti described the mural as a “spectacular farewell” to Mladić and referred to him as a Serbian general and one of the most significant figures in recent Serbian history.
Mladić, the former commander of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska, was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and sentenced to life imprisonment.
His convictions included genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and other crimes against Bosniak and Croat civilians, as well as terrorizing civilians during the siege of Sarajevo and taking UN peacekeepers hostage.
The mural is the latest example of the public glorification of Mladić in Serbia following his reported death on August 27.
His death has triggered renewed displays of support among nationalist groups and football supporters in Serbia and Republika Srpska, while representatives of Bosniak organizations and human rights activists have warned that the glorification of a convicted war criminal undermines reconciliation and sends a troubling message to victims and minority communities.
