The European Committee of the Regions (CoR), an EU advisory body representing regional and local politicians, has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the glorification of convicted war criminals in Serbia and calling for action to protect European values.
The resolution, titled The Urgent Need to Protect European Values in the Republic of Serbia and Condemn the Glorification of Convicted War Criminals, was adopted during a plenary session in Brussels on the afternoon of October 14.
According to Hina, the initiative was launched by nine Croatian members of the committee, which brings together 329 politicians from the 27 EU member states.
“There is no EU without European values. By paying tribute to Ratko Mladić, Serbia is seriously violating these values,” said Nikola Dobroslavić, a Croatian member of the European People’s Party-affiliated Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
Dobroslavić recalled that Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment by an international court in The Hague for the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.
The resolution condemns the glorification of war crimes as “anti-European and anti-civilizational” conduct and calls for measures against Serbia. However, it does not specify what measures the EU should take.
“Serbia continues to have the committee’s support on its European path, but it cannot join the EU while engaging in such behaviour,” Dobroslavić said.
Joško Klisović, a member of the Zagreb City Assembly from the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), also addressed the issue, stating that Mladić had been convicted of some of the gravest crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
“It is shameful and unacceptable that the authorities in Serbia participate in, tolerate and encourage the granting of state and military honours to war criminals. This is an insult to the victims and to European values, and it undermines every sincere effort toward reconciliation in our region. Europe must not remain silent,” Klisović said.
“Silence is complicity,” he added.
The European Committee of the Regions will forward the resolution to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council.
