The body of Ratko Mladić has been flown to Serbia days after the death of the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) in a prison hospital in The Hague, where he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of war crimes and genocide during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Members of the Serbian Armed Forces received the coffin – draped in the flags of Serbia and Republika Srpska (RS), one of the two entities of BiH – from a Serbian Government aircraft at Belgrade airport. Alongside members of Mladić’s family, Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić was also present.
Along the route from the airport to the Military Medical Academy, where Mladić’s body was taken in a red van, a convoy of cars was greeted by dozens of people with banners on overpasses reading: “Heroes Never Die”, “Thank You to Your Mother”, “Welcome Home, General”, and “General, Thank You”.
Police and military officers saluted the motorcade, which included the van carrying the body of Ratko Mladić.
The state is ready to provide all types of logistical, transport, and other support, as well as to assist in maintaining public order, peace, and security, President Aleksandar Vučić said earlier.
Media outlets report that a commemoration service will take place on Saturday, 5 September, at the Army Hall at 12:00, with the funeral held two days later at Topčider Cemetery, where Mladić’s daughter, Ana, is buried. The BBC has not received confirmation of this information.
Security service estimates suggest that tens of thousands of people will attend the funeral, Vučić added.
Mladić was sentenced to life in prison for war crimes and the Srebrenica genocide. He died on 27 August, at the age of 83, in a prison hospital in The Hague.
Mladić’s death remains main topic in Balkans
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which consists of two entities – the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska – reactions remain divided.
While tributes to Mladić have been paid for days in many towns across the predominantly Serb-populated Republika Srpska, figures in the Federation of BiH condemn such actions and demand penalties for those who, as they state, “deny the Srebrenica genocide and glorify war criminals”.
There were announcements of gatherings in Srebrenica – a town where Bosnian Serb forces killed thousands of Muslims in the 1990s – first by those wishing to pay tribute to Mladić, and subsequently by those opposing it. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, on whose territory Srebrenica is located, banned all public gatherings.
An increased presence of both uniformed and plainclothes police was observed on the streets of Srebrenica on 2 September, but the situation remained quiet, reported Slađan Tomić, a reporter for BBC in Serbian.
In Bratunac, a town a few kilometres from Srebrenica, a group of minors dressed in black gathered, carrying Mladić’s likeness on t-shirts or flags and chanting the name of the former VRS commander. However, they dispersed following the arrival of the police, the BBC reporter stated.
Tributes and reactions
In recent days, associations from Srebrenica and elsewhere in the Federation of BiH have reacted strongly to public tributes paid to Mladić in towns across Republika Srpska and at football matches.
Supporters of Borac Banja Luka, the largest city in RS, again paid tribute to Mladić during a league derby against Sarajevo’s Željezničar on the evening of 2 September by displaying a banner featuring Mladić’s eyes. The match was not suspended, local media reported.
Borac supporters also paid tribute to Mladić during a previous BiH league match against Radnik Bijeljina.
The Disciplinary Commission of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently fined Borac, the reigning national champions, 5,000 KM (around €2,500) and ordered them to play one match behind closed doors after their supporters chanted Ratko Mladić’s name.
(BBC Serbia, Naslovi.net, 04.09.2026)