Open letter to Serbian authorities regarding the honours bestowed upon war criminals

Following the death of Ratko Mladić while serving a life sentence pronounced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for the Srebrenica genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was buried in Belgrade on 7 September 2026 with military honours and in the presence of senior Serbian officials. The ceremony sparked widespread criticism, as many viewed this glorification of a war criminal as an affront to victims, incompatible with EU values and Serbia’s aspirations for EU membership.

The matter was discussed at the CIVEX meeting on 9 September 2026. Following this debate, the Chair of CIVEX and the Committee of the Regions rapporteur on the “Enlargement Package 2025 - Western Balkans and Türkiye” jointly addressed a letter to Serbia’s Minister for European Integration on 2 October, expressing concern over these developments:

We, representatives of Europe's local and regional authorities and members of the European Committee of the Regions, follow developments in Serbia with close attention and growing concern.

Our longstanding cooperation with Serbia has been founded on a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and reconciliation, as well as on the important role of local authorities in advancing reforms and bringing institutions closer to citizens.

We are therefore compelled to express our profound concern regarding the funeral arrangements accorded to Ratko Mladić, who was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The honours accorded to him during the funeral proceedings and the attendance of senior public officials conveyed a message that is difficult to regard as consistent with the principles of accountability, reconciliation and respect for the victims of these crimes.

The denial or glorification of crimes established by final international judgments undermines efforts to foster trust and reconciliation in the Western Balkans. Confronting the truth about past atrocities, rather than celebrating those responsible for them, remains essential to preventing their recurrence and building a peaceful future.

As representatives of the European Union founded on the values of peace building, democracy and respect for human dignity, we expect our partners to uphold these principles. The glorification of convicted war criminals has no place in societies committed to European values and is incompatible with the spirit of Serbia's European aspirations.

We therefore urge the Serbian authorities to distance themselves clearly from any actions that could be perceived as honouring convicted war criminals and to reaffirm their commitment to reconciliation, democratic values and respect for the victims of past conflicts.

We remain committed to continuing our cooperation with Serbia's local and regional authorities for the benefit of all citizens.

Magali Altounian
Chair of the CIVEX Commission
European Committee of the Regions

Gillian Coughlan
CoR Rapporteur on EU Enlargement Package 2025 for the Western Balkans and Türkiye