U.S. Congressman Bill Keating has strongly condemned the glorification of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić and criticized the Serbian authorities’ response to his funeral in Belgrade.
In a post on X, Keating said he was “deeply concerned” by the public glorification of Mladić and what he described as the Serbian government’s tacit support for the funeral ceremony.
Keating stressed that an international tribunal convicted Mladić of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including his role in the killing of around 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.
“My thoughts are with Mladić’s victims and all those who suffered as a result of his actions,” Keating wrote.
Mladić was buried in Belgrade on September 7 in a ceremony that included military honors and the presence of Serbian officials, drawing strong international criticism.
The funeral has reignited debate over Serbia’s handling of the legacy of the 1990s wars and its commitment to confronting war crimes as it continues to pursue closer integration with the European Union.
Keating’s remarks add to growing criticism from U.S. and European officials over the public honoring of a convicted war criminal, particularly in the context of Serbia’s stated European ambitions.
