**Body of Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladic Returns to Serbia in Government Plane**
The body of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of war crimes, was returned to Serbia on Thursday. Mladic, who passed away at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence in a United Nations detention facility in The Hague, was transported back to Belgrade aboard a Serbian government plane.
Mladic's coffin, draped in a Serbian flag, arrived at Belgrade airport shortly before 6 p.m. local time. Accompanying the coffin were Mladic's son, granddaughter, and Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic. Following its arrival, Serbian soldiers carried the coffin to a red van, which Serbian media reported would take it to a military hospital for an autopsy scheduled over the weekend.
The expected funeral for Mladic has raised concerns and sparked discussions within the region. Initially, a Serbian government minister indicated that Mladic would receive a state funeral. However, following backlash from European leaders, the government has not confirmed this status. Reports suggest a commemoration ceremony is planned for Saturday at an army hall in central Belgrade, with the funeral set to take place on Monday in a church located in a Belgrade suburb. Mladic is anticipated to be buried beside his daughter.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that he expects tens of thousands of people to attend the funeral, highlighting the challenges of ensuring security during the event. Mladic was found guilty by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where approximately 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. He was also convicted for his involvement in the prolonged siege of Sarajevo, which resulted in the deaths of around 10,000 individuals.
Despite his convictions, Mladic remains a controversial figure, revered by many Serbs in Serbia and the autonomous Serb Republic of Bosnia. His death has reignited tensions in the region, with officials warning that a state funeral could jeopardize Serbia's aspirations for European Union membership. EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos emphasized that glorifying Mladic as a war criminal contradicts fundamental European values and has no place in the EU or aspiring member states. She expressed hope that the Serbian government recognizes the implications of their actions.
Croatia's Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, was more direct in his remarks, stating that organizing a state funeral for Mladic would effectively close the door on Serbia's EU accession prospects.
The U.N. mechanism responsible for residual cases from the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Mladic's death, a standard procedure when inmates pass away in the U.N. detention unit. The timeline for the release of these findings remains unclear. Mladic had faced various health issues in recent years and was receiving treatment in the prison hospital prior to his death, with his relatives and the Russian government criticizing the quality of his care. The U.N. war crimes court maintained that while Mladic's health was fragile, it was being adequately managed.
As Serbia prepares for Mladic's funeral, the event is poised to draw significant attention both domestically and internationally, reflecting the complex legacy of the Bosnian War and the ongoing challenges of reconciliation in the region.