The European Commission has condemned the glorification of convicted war criminals and the denial of genocide, saying such practices are incompatible with the European Union’s fundamental values and with the standards expected of countries seeking EU membership.
EC spokesperson Christian Wigand made the remarks in response to the funeral ceremonies for former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Ratko Mladić died while serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity and genocide in Srebrenica,” Wigand said, recalling that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2017 and described his crimes among the gravest known to humanity.
Wigand stressed that the glorification of war criminals, genocide denial and historical revisionism have no place either in the European Union or in countries aspiring to join the bloc.
He described the armed conflicts in the Western Balkans during the 1990s as one of the darkest periods in Europe’s recent history, emphasizing that reconciliation and good-neighborly relations remain essential to building a common European future.
“We express our solidarity with all victims, survivors and their families who suffered from war crimes in the countries of the former Yugoslavia,” Wigand said.
The European Commission said the EU remains committed to supporting Western Balkan countries in their efforts toward reconciliation, regional stability and the resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.
Mladić died in The Hague on August 27 at the age of 84 while serving his life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Commission’s statement comes amid renewed controversy in Serbia over the public glorification of Mladić, including state-linked commemorations and the participation of senior Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials in events honoring the convicted war criminal.
