Serbia plans state funeral for convicted war criminal Mladić

Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide, will be buried with full state and military honors in Serbia, the country's justice minister announced on August 28, 2026. The declaration came one day after Mladić, 84, died while serving a life sentence at the United Nations detention unit in The Hague. Justice Minister Nenad Vujić confirmed the plans to state-run and regional broadcasters, stating that "General Mladić is a general, and the protocols are known," and that all honors due to him would be respected. He said the family would decide the burial location and that Serbian authorities were prepared to transport the body from The Hague as soon as UN officials set a timetable. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić added that if the family wishes for him to be buried in Serbia, "we will organize everything in a decent and dignified manner." Mladić was the military commander of the Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.