A state funeral for convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, or the participation of members of the Serbian government in his funeral, would be unacceptable to the European Union, Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister for European Affairs, has warned. Ireland currently holds the presidency of the EU.
He confirmed that European officials are “working hard behind the scenes” on the issue.
“I believe a state funeral would be unacceptable. As I understand it, a state funeral is not actually being organized, but it is entirely possible that senior government officials may pay their respects to this person. That, too, would be unacceptable,” Byrne said ahead of the informal meeting of EU and Western Balkan ministers being held in Ireland.
He described the events that took place in the Western Balkans during the 1990s as “abhorrent.”
“But make no mistake, what is happening there, in my view, still causes pain to people, particularly in that region, but also in some EU member states,” Byrne said.
The plane carrying the remains of Ratko Mladić, who died in The Hague on August 27, arrived on Thursday, September 3, at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport. In addition to family members, Serbia’s Justice Minister Nenad Vujić and two of Mladić’s former comrades-in-arms were also on board.
Mladić’s coffin was covered with the Serbian flag and carried by members of the Serbian Armed Forces.
His son said that Mladić would be buried on Monday, September 7, at Topčider Cemetery.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had previously said he expected Mladić’s son “in the coming days to inform everyone about what the family wants.” However, he added that the state would be ready to provide any logistical, transportation, and other forms of support, as well as assist in maintaining public order, peace, and security.
Earlier, Minister Vujić had said that Mladić would be buried with the highest state honors.
The European Commission, meanwhile, said that it is up to the Serbian authorities to decide what role they will play in Mladić’s funeral. However, it stressed that glorifying war criminals is contrary to fundamental European values and has no place either in the European Union or in countries seeking EU membership.
Ireland’s Minister for European Affairs called for the time to move beyond the past and work toward reconciliation, stressing that the reconciliation process in the Western Balkans must continue.
The Hague Tribunal sentenced Ratko Mladić to life imprisonment on June 8, 2021.
The court found him guilty of genocide committed against approximately 8,000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica, a United Nations-designated safe area, during the summer of 1995.
