Thousands attend funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic in Serbia

The funeral of Ratko Mladic drew massive crowds in Serbia, illustrating the complex and contested relationship many Serbs maintain with figures convicted of atrocities during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s. Mladic, who was formally convicted of genocide targeting Bosniak Muslim civilians, continues to occupy an ambiguous place in Serbian national memory and identity. While the international criminal tribunal determined he bore responsibility for systematic violence, his funeral attracted thousands of supporters who view him through a fundamentally different historical lens. The gathering demonstrated the persistence of competing narratives about the war decades after its conclusion. The event highlights ongoing tensions between international accountability for war crimes and domestic commemoration practices in post-conflict societies, particularly regarding how former military leaders are remembered and honored within their own nations. These divergent interpretations of historical figures underscore the enduring challenges facing the Balkans in achieving shared understandings of recent violent conflict and establishing genuine reconciliation among affected communities.