Mothers of Srebrenica: Mladić’s funeral threatens to become Europe’s largest fascist gathering in 70 years
The non-governmental organisation Mothers of Srebrenica warned that today’s funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade „threatens to become the largest fascist gathering in Europe in the past 70 years“ and called on European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to respond.
- Glorifying genocide is not paying respects; it is a disgrace. Institutions, respond - the organisation, which brings together survivors and family members of those killed and missing after forces led by Mladić captured Srebrenica and Žepa in 1995, said on X, tagging Marta Kos.
The Mothers of Srebrenica also condemned yesterday’s minute of silence held in honour of Mladić before the start of the Red Star Belgrade-Partizan football match in Belgrade.
- Is this a candidate country for European Union membership - the Mothers of Srebrenica asked in a post accompanying footage from the Rajko Mitić Stadium, showing the tribute to Mladić and crowds chanting his name.
In that post, they tagged the X accounts of Marta Kos, the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Delegation to Serbia.
The Mothers of Srebrenica also shared an X post by Red Star Football Club showing the tribute to Mladić before the match, accompanied by a salute emoji, describing it as „a message from a fascist club in Serbia“.
The Mothers of Srebrenica, on the other hand, expressed their gratitude to Partizan Football Club president Rasim Ljajić, who left the stadium’s VIP box in protest during the minute of silence for Mladić.
- While the entire stadium in Belgrade was paying tribute to a convicted war criminal, one man left the stadium. Rasim Ljajić, thank you, our friend - the Mothers of Srebrenica said.
Mladić, the wartime commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in The Hague for genocide and other war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, died on 27 August at the age of 84 in a detention hospital in The Hague.
In 2021, he was finally convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the genocide of Bosniaks in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity committed against Muslims and Croats in 15 municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, terrorising civilians during the siege of Sarajevo, and taking UN peacekeepers hostage.