Body of war criminal Mladic returns to Serbia with military honours

The body of Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic arrived in Serbia on Thursday, greeted with military honors. The casket, bearing the Serbian flag, was carried from the plane by six soldiers, who were accompanied by Mladic's son Darko and Serbia's Justice Minister Nenad Vujic. The body then proceeded to a Belgrade military hospital under police escort.

Mladic had been serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. Post his death, pro-government media broadcast images of crowds displaying banners of honor and lighting flares as the convoy passed. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had earlier stated that the state would offer full logistical and transport support for Mladic's funeral.

The court mandated a thorough investigation into the cause of Mladic's death, which had to be concluded before his family could claim the body. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos had criticized the plans to honor Mladic, stating that such glorification of war criminals contradicts fundamental European values. Mladic, who had suffered multiple strokes, was convicted for atrocities committed during Bosnia's war, which resulted in around 100,000 deaths and forced 2.2 million people to flee their homes.

His name became synonymous with the "Butcher of Bosnia," particularly due to his involvement in the Srebrenica massacre, which is considered Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. The military hospital stated they would conduct a postmortem examination at the request of Mladic's family and the justice minister, promising to share all findings with the family and relevant institutions.

Nenad Vujic, Serbia's Justice Minister, confirmed that Mladic would receive all the military and state honors he was entitled to, with the funeral described as dignified and in line with the family's wishes.