Serbian lawyer and political activist Čedomir Stojković has launched a fierce attack on Aleksandar Vučić’s government over Serbia’s decision to use a government aircraft to bring Ratko Mladić’s body from the Netherlands to Serbia.
Stojković argues that the decision represents the first formal state honour given to Mladić, who was convicted by the Hague tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
“With this, the Republic of Serbia has just given Ratko Mladić his first formal state honour,” Stojković said.
He argues that using a government aircraft to transport Mladić’s body was not merely a logistical decision, but a political message from Belgrade.
According to Stojković, the message is effectively that Mladić was not simply a commander of Republika Srpska, but “our general” who operated according to Serbia’s instructions, including in connection with the crimes for which he was convicted.
Stojković also drew a direct comparison with Slobodan Milošević’s regime.
“Slobodan Milošević at least hid this. Vučić’s government is proud of it.”
His criticism comes as Mladić’s body has been returned to Serbia amid plans for a funeral and growing controversy over the level of state and military involvement.
For Stojković, this is no longer simply about the burial of a former military commander.
It is about whether the Serbian state is now openly embracing the legacy of a man convicted of genocide.
And his conclusion is blunt:
Milošević tried to hide the connection. Stojković says Vučić is turning it into a state spectacle.
