Thousands of mourners gather in Belgrade for war criminal Mladic's funeral

Convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic is set to be laid to rest in Belgrade on Monday, despite widespread condemnation. The 84-year-old died in August while incarcerated for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s. His body will be displayed in a church for five hours before a procession to his final resting place.

Mladic's casket was flown to Serbia on Thursday, escorted by a military honor guard and met with cheers from onlookers. International outrage greeted the decision, with the EU's enlargement commissioner cancelling a visit to Serbia. Bosnia's tripartite presidency chairman denounced the event as an "act of identification" with one of history's most notorious killers.

Mladic's wartime atrocities, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that claimed around 8,000 lives, earned him the moniker "Butcher of Bosnia." The 1992-1995 Bosnian war resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths and displaced 2.2 million people. Mladic was convicted of genocide in the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities during the conflict.

Despite his conviction, Mladic remains a hero in some parts of Serbia, particularly in the Serb-run region of Republika Srpska, where his funeral will draw hundreds of mourners. Mladic's son, Darko, is organizing the ceremony and has received support from Serbian officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic, who expects tens of thousands to attend.