Šemsudin Mehmedović, a member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke out regarding the information about the death and eventual burial of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, stating that the possibility of his body being buried anywhere on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be decisively prevented.
Mehmedović said that Mladić is not a symbol of anything this country should remember with honors, recalling that he is a person who was final-instance convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina must not allow the burial site of the convicted war criminal to become a place of paying respects, gathering, and creating a new cult of crime. Particularly dangerous is the possibility that such a site, with the political and institutional support of the authorities of Republika Srpska, could over time become a kind of pilgrimage site for those who glorify Mladić, deny genocide, and continue to build mythology and ideology on which the most horrific crimes were committed,” Mehmedović warned.
He emphasized that it cannot be allowed that the “crime scene be turned into a place for glorifying criminals,” and submitted a direct request to competent authorities.
“I expect the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to immediately consider all legal options within their jurisdiction and take the necessary steps to prevent the body of the convicted war criminal from being returned and buried on the territory of BiH,” said the state representative.
Mehmedović underlined that this is not a matter of revenge, but of the state’s attitude toward the victims, final verdicts of international courts, and the future of the country.
“We cannot allow genocidal ideology to be passed on to new generations through the creation of places where those who have been final-instance convicted of genocide and other most horrific crimes will be glorified. Bosnia and Herzegovina must be a state that protects the dignity of victims, not a state that enables the creation of shrines for war criminals,” Mehmedović concluded.
It is important to emphasize that Mehmedović’s reaction comes at a moment when fierce public discussions are being led about the place of Mladić’s burial, and following the embarrassing rallies which glorified the convicted war criminal in a couple of cities of Republika Srpska.
Meanwhile, conflicting and provocative messages are coming from Serbia. While the Minister of Justice of Serbia, Nenad Vujić, already stated that Mladić deserves the highest state and military honors, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that Belgrade has not yet received official information from The Hague, and that the organization of the funeral will depend exclusively on the family’s wishes.
Although some media outlets reported that Mladić would be buried in Belgrade next to his daughter, Vučić called those claims ‘untruths that offend the family,’ adding that Serbia would organize the burial ‘in a decent and dignified manner’ if that is the Mladić family’s wish. During his visit to Osečina, Vučić confirmed that logistical support teams had been sent to The Hague, accusing the Hague Tribunal of Mladić’s death.
It is precisely such announcements of state honors in Serbia, alongside the glorification of Mladić at rallies in Republika Srpska, that have further fueled fears and condemnations in Sarajevo that an eventual burial on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina would serve to create a permanent ‘shrine’ and site of pilgrimage for genocide deniers.
As a reminder, former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska and convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić died on Thursday, August 27, in The Hague at the age of 85.
In June 2021, he was sentenced by a final ruling of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to life imprisonment for the Srebrenica genocide, terrorizing the citizens of Sarajevo, persecution, and other horrific war crimes.
