Thousands of people attended the funeral of Ratko Mladić in Belgrade, Serbia, following his death. Mladić, a former Bosnian Serb military commander, was previously convicted by an international tribunal for his role in the Srebrenica genocide and other war crimes during the Bosnian War. The funeral proceedings featured the display of his military medals and a coffin draped in the Serbian national flag.

There is a notable discrepancy regarding the involvement of the Serbian government. While Euronews reports that serving Serbian ministers attended the funeral, Al Jazeera’s coverage does not mention the presence of government officials. Euronews further notes that this attendance occurred despite prior assurances that no serving officials would participate in the event.

The international reaction has been largely critical. The European Union issued a statement condemning the event, emphasizing that the glorification of convicted war criminals is incompatible with the values of the EU and its candidate countries. While Al Jazeera provided a brief report on the attendance numbers, Euronews focused on the political implications of the ceremony and the specific symbols used to honor the deceased.