Mayor Draško Stanivuković of Banjaluka has stated that he will not remove a mural depicting Ratko Mladić, convicted of war crimes and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mural appeared on a building housing a public soup kitchen in the Mejdan neighborhood.
Staff at the kitchen, Mozaik prijateljstva, noticed the mural on Monday, 18 August, and reported it to the city’s municipal department, but were told to cover it up themselves.
Legal context: Former High Representative Valentin Inzko amended the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2021 to criminalize denial of genocide and war crimes. Penalties range from six months to five years in prison for publicly justifying or downplaying these crimes, with stricter penalties for officials or public employees.
Historical background: Ratko Mladić was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide against approximately 8,000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica, as well as crimes against humanity during the 1990s conflicts in Bosnia. He was arrested in Serbia in May 2011 after nearly 16 years as a fugitive and transferred to The Hague.
The mural and the mayor’s refusal to remove it have sparked concern among human rights groups and highlight ongoing challenges in addressing the legacy of wartime atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
