Story perspectives

EU warns Mladic funeral threatens Serbia’s accession bid

9/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

Serbian soldiers escorted Ratko Mladic’s flag-draped coffin to Belgrade’s Church of St. Luke.
He died on August 27, 2026 in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He was buried with military and religious honors on September 7, 2026.
EU officials said the funeral threatens Serbia’s EU accession by violating fundamental European values.
Bosnia and Herzegovina expelled two Serbian diplomats and withdrew most embassy staff in protest.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, signed in Ohio, ended the Bosnian War and created the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). ICTY convicted Serbian leader Slobodan Miloševic in 2002, sentencing him to life imprisonment and ordering the forfeiture of €1.5 billion in assets. Mladic’s 2026 state-funeral mirrors the 2001 Belgrade ceremony for Miloševic, where nationalist officials defied EU pressure and sparked diplomatic protests. Such defiance repeatedly stalls Serbia’s EU accession, as the bloc repeatedly cited breaches of democratic standards in 2013, 2017, and 2024 assessments.

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Story summary

Serbian soldiers escorted Ratko Mladic’s flag-draped coffin to Belgrade’s Church of St. Luke.
He died on August 27, 2026 in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He was buried with military and religious honors on September 7, 2026.
EU officials said the funeral threatens Serbia’s EU accession by violating fundamental European values.
Bosnia and Herzegovina expelled two Serbian diplomats and withdrew most embassy staff in protest.

1 / 2