The European Democratic Party (EDP) has condemned what it described as the “shameful and unacceptable glorification” of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić following the transfer of his body from The Hague to Serbia, where he is expected to be buried with military honors.
“EDP unequivocally condemns this shameful and unacceptable glorification,” the party said, adding that it shares the position of European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who canceled her visit to Serbia over the issue.
The party also backed comments by Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévost, who said that glorifying Mladić was an insult to the victims of the genocide.
“Honoring a man convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes is an insult to the victims and their families — and another step away from the values expected of a candidate country for EU membership,” the EDP said.
The party stressed that Serbia’s European path requires confronting its wartime past, pursuing genuine reconciliation, respecting human dignity and human rights, and rejecting impunity.
“These are European values that are not negotiable,” the EDP said.
The statement comes after Serbian authorities announced that Mladić’s remains would be returned to Serbia following his death in The Hague on August 27 at the age of 84. Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment by the UN tribunal for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The EDP accompanied its statement with the message: “There is no place in Europe for glorifying war criminals.”
