European Commission: There is no place for the glorification of war criminals or genocide denial in either the EU or candidate countries

The European Commission said there is no place for the glorification of war criminals, genocide denial or historical revisionism either in the European Union or in countries aspiring to EU membership, responding to the death of Hague convict Ratko Mladić. The European Commission spokesperson for foreign and security policy, Christian Wigand, said that such phenomena are contrary to the most fundamental European values.

In a written statement published on the website of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Wigand said that Mladić was a convicted war criminal responsible for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

- He died while serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity and genocide in Srebrenica - Wigand said, recalling that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2017.

According to Wigand, the Tribunal described Mladić’s crimes as among the most heinous crimes known to humanity.

- Any glorification of war criminals, denial of genocide and revisionism are contrary to the most fundamental European values, and there is no place for them either in the European Union or in countries aspiring to membership - Wigand said.

He noted that the armed conflicts in the Western Balkans during the 1990s represent some of the darkest moments in recent European history.

Wigand also stressed that reconciliation and good-neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans remain of crucial importance for building a common future.