State Funeral Held for Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladic in Belgrade

Thousands gathered in Belgrade for the state funeral of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader convicted of genocide and war crimes. The ceremony drew both large crowds of supporters and sharp condemnation from international courts and neighboring countries.

7 Sept, 07:21 — 7 Sept, 08:45

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Why this matters

Ratko Mladic's funeral has reopened deep wounds from the Bosnian War and the Srebrenica genocide, which killed over 8,000 Bosniaks. The state-sponsored honors in Serbia signal to the international community, especially the EU, that nationalist narratives remain powerful in the country, potentially undermining its European integration progress. The event also tests the resilience of post-war reconciliation efforts in the Balkans.

Key entitiesRatko Mladic Srebrenica genocide European Union International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Mothers of Srebrenica St. Luke's Church Topcider Cemetery

The Story

What 22 sources agree on, dispute, and miss

What sources agree on

Ratko Mladic died on August 27, 2026, while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
His funeral was held in Belgrade on September 7, 2026, with thousands of people attending.
The ceremony included military honors and the presence of Serbian Orthodox clergy.
The European Union and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals condemned the glorification of a convicted war criminal.

Key claims4 agreed · 1 disputed · 1 unverified

✓

Mladic was convicted of genocide for the Srebrenica massacre.

agreed·delfi-ltFrance 24il-sole-24-orenosbalkan-insight+7

✓

The funeral included military honors and state-level ceremony.

agreed·aktuality-skn1-serbiajutarnji-listbalkan-insightil-sole-24-ore

✓

The European Union condemned the glorification of Mladic.

agreed·Daily Sabahdelfi-ltn1-bihklix-ba

✓

Thousands of people attended the funeral.

agreed·France 24channel-news-asianosdelovijesti-me

✗

Mladic's daughter Ana committed suicide in 1994 out of shame for her father's crimes.

disputed·la-repubblica

Disputed byla-repubblica

La Repubblica notes that Serbian nationalists claim Ana was killed by enemies, not that she committed suicide.

Fans of Red Star and Partizan football clubs celebrated Mladic.

unverified·index-hr

Where they diverge

Characterization of the funeral

il-sole-24-oreklix-badanasn1-bih

A state-organized glorification of a genocidaire, reflecting a society that has not confronted its past.

delfi-ltaktuality-sknos24ur

A state funeral with military honors for a convicted war criminal, implying official endorsement.

Motivation of attendees

balkan-insightDaily Sabahthe-journal

Attendees are sympathizers and nationalists honoring a Serbian hero.

delovijesti-meaftonbladet

Mourners gathered out of obligation or curiosity, with some expressing divided opinions.

Role of the Serbian government

danasindex-hrklix-ba

The government is providing state honors, testing EU integration prospects and provoking international condemnation.

jutarnji-listbalkan-insight

The government is managing a delicate balancing act between nationalist sentiment and international pressure.

Coverage gaps

The story of Mladic's daughter Ana, who committed suicide in 1994 reportedly after hearing Bosniaks speak of her father's atrocities, and is buried at the same cemetery.

Reportedla-repubblica

Missingdelfi-ltaktuality-skchannel-news-asia+17

Condemnation from the Mothers of Srebrenica association specifically targeting Red Star and Partizan fans for glorifying Mladic.

Reportedindex-hr

Missingdelfi-ltaktuality-skchannel-news-asia+17

Warning from U.S. senators that the coming days will be a test for the Belgrade regime.

Reporteddanas

Missingdelfi-ltaktuality-skchannel-news-asia+17

Coverage matrix(22 sources)

1–10 of 22

	nos	ruv	aftonbladet	France 24	la-repubblica	delfi-lt	n1-serbia	index-hr	delo	aktuality-sk
Characterization of the funeral
Motivation of attendees
Role of the Serbian government
The story of Mladic's daughter Ana, who committed suicide in 1994 reportedly after hearing Bosniaks speak of her father's atrocities, and is buried at the same cemetery.
Condemnation from the Mothers of Srebrenica association specifically targeting Red Star and Partizan fans for glorifying Mladic.
Warning from U.S. senators that the coming days will be a test for the Belgrade regime.

Covered Divergent Not mentioned

The Story

Analyzing sources…

Source Diversity

Excellent (100/100)

22 sources33/33

Spectrum spread— 5/5 buckets covered33/33

Far L1

Far Left (1)

aftonbladet

Left10

Left (10)

danasn1-serbian1-bihthe-journalFrance 24index-hrbalkan-insightdelo+2 more

Center7

Center (7)

delfi-ltaktuality-sknos24urjutarnji-listklix-baruv

Right3

Right (3)

irish-independentchannel-news-asiail-sole-24-ore

Far R1

Far Right (1)

Daily Sabah

Geographic diversity— 15 regions34/34

Serbia3Ireland2Bosnia2Italy2Slovenia2Croatia2Lithuania1Slovakia1Singapore1France1Netherlands1Turkey1Sweden1Montenegro1Iceland1

Political spectrum

LeftCenterRight

aftonbladet

la-repubblica

n1-serbia

index-hr

danas

n1-bih

the-journal

france24

balkan-insight

delo

vijesti-me

delfi-lt

aktuality-sk

nos

24ur

jutarnji-list

klix-ba

ruv

channel-news-asia

il-sole-24-ore

daily-sabah

Outlet rating This story

SourceOutletiGeneral editorial lean of the outletStoryiHow they covered this specific storyToneFactuality

aftonbladetcenter-leftleftneutral—calls him krigsförbrytare (war criminal)

la-repubblicacenter-leftleftanalytical—focuses on daughter's suicide, nationalist myths

n1-serbiacenter-leftlefturgent—critical phrasing 'pravac genocid' (toward genocide)

index-hrcenter-leftleftalarmist—highlights fan glorification and mothers' condemnation

danascenter-leftlefturgent—covers US senators' warning, critical of regime

n1-bihcenterleftanalytical—focuses on international condemnation

the-journalcentercenter-leftanalytical—details Mladic's crimes beyond genocide

France 24centercenter-leftneutralHighcalls him war criminal, notes life sentence

balkan-insightcentercenter-leftanalyticalMostly Factuallive blog with emphasis on war crimes context

delocentercenter-leftneutral—calls him war criminal, notes large crowd

vijesti-mecentercenter-leftcautious—notes highest honors for Hague convict

delfi-ltcentercenter-leftanalytical—frames Mladic as convicted war criminal, EU condemnation

aktuality-skcentercenterneutral—describes state funeral factually with photos

noscentercentercautious—factual reporting on expected crowds

24urcentercenterneutral—describes last farewell to war criminal

jutarnji-listcentercenterneutral—describes military honors, large crowd

klix-bacenterleftalarmist—editorial condemning glorification, societal failure

ruvcentercenter-leftsensational—uses nickname 'Bosníu-slátrarans' (Bosnian butcher)

channel-news-asiacentercenterneutralMostly Factualneutral description of crowds gathering

il-sole-24-orecenterrightsensationalMostly Factualframes as 'boia di Srebrenica' (executioner)

Daily Sabahcenter-rightrightanalyticalMixedframes funeral with EU backlash, nationalist sympathy

Coverage leans: center-left

The coverage is predominantly critical of the funeral and Serbian nationalism, with many outlets emphasizing Mladic's war crimes and international condemnation, though a few Serbian sources present the event neutrally or with nationalist undertones.

Sources

Showing 6 of 22 sources

France 24High1h ago

Thousands of mourners gather in Belgrade for war criminal Mladic's funeral

Thousands of mourners on Monday gathered at a church in Belgrade to view the body of Ratko Mladic, who died in The Hague, Netherlands, on August 27 while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The European Union has heavily criticised the event, and Marta Kos, the bloc's enlargement commissioner, cancelled an upcoming visit to Serbia in protest.

By FRANCE 24

Read full article →

irish-independent28m ago

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital Belgrade

Serbia defies EU warnings against public homage to the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’

By Associated Press reporters

Read full article →

channel-news-asiaMostly Factual54m ago

Crowds gather for war criminal Ratko Mladic's funeral in Belgrade

Read full article →

the-journal1h ago

Large crowds gather in Belgrade for funeral of Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic

In addition to genocide, Mladic was convicted of persecuting and forcibly expelling Bosnian Muslims and Croats.

Read full article →

Daily SabahMixed1h ago

War criminal Mladic’s funeral draws crowds, EU backlash in Belgrade

Crowds gathered in Belgrade on Monday for the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic, as the European Union accused some in Serbia of glorifying a man convicted of genocide...

Read full article →

balkan-insightMostly Factual1h ago

Live Blog: War Criminal Ratko Mladic’s Funeral in Serbia

Follow BIRN’s reporters for the latest developments as the wartime Bosnian Serb military chief, who died while serving a life sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity, is buried in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

By BIRN

Read full article →

Coverage Timeline

First report: la-repubblica · 6 Sept, 23:00|Full coverage: 22 · 10h|Window: 10h

Left-leaningCenterRight-leaning

la-repubblica6 Sept, 23:00First to report

Belgrado, Mladic sepolto con la figlia che si era suicidata per la vergogna

5h later

ruv7 Sept, 04:10

Búist við tugþúsundum við útför Mladićs — Bosníu-slátrarans

1h later

vijesti-me7 Sept, 05:18

Sahrana Mladića: Najviše počasti za haškog osuđenika

2h later

aftonbladet7 Sept, 07:02

Krigsförbrytaren Ratko Mladic begravs i Belgrad

delo7 Sept, 07:09

Na pogrebu Ratka Mladića se zbira nepregledna množica

klix-ba7 Sept, 07:13

Zašto Srbija ima potrebu slaviti zlo: Sahrana ratnog zločinca kao ogledalo izgubljenog društva i nemoćne Evrope

jutarnji-list7 Sept, 07:18

FOTO Počasna vojna straža, na lijesu sablja: Nepregledna kolona ljudi došla ispratiti ratnog zločinca Ratka Mladića

Daily Sabah7 Sept, 07:21

War criminal Mladic’s funeral draws crowds, EU backlash in Belgrade

balkan-insight7 Sept, 07:26

Live Blog: War Criminal Ratko Mladic’s Funeral in Serbia

index-hr7 Sept, 07:39

Navijači Zvezde i Partizana slavili Ratka Mladića. Stigla reakcija Majki Srebrenice

24ur7 Sept, 07:48

Large crowds gather in Belgrade for funeral of Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic

n1-bih7 Sept, 08:13

Sud u Hagu: Osuđujemo glorifikaciju osoba osuđenih pred međunarodnim sudovima za ratne zločine, zločine protiv čovječnosti i genocid

n1-serbia7 Sept, 08:14

Dan uživo u 16.30h: Pravac genocid

channel-news-asia7 Sept, 08:18

Crowds gather for war criminal Ratko Mladic's funeral in Belgrade

aktuality-sk7 Sept, 08:20

FOTO: Srbi vystrojili odsúdenému vojnovému zločincovi Mladičovi štátny pohreb

irish-independent7 Sept, 08:45

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital Belgrade

danas7 Sept, 08:50

Sahrana Mladića: Najviše počasti za haškog osuđenika za genocid

delfi-lt7 Sept, 08:55Latest update

Belgrade laidojamas karo nusikaltėlis Ratko Mladičius

Story evolution

Initial coverage focused on the controversial decision for state honors, while on the day itself it shifted to reporting on crowd size and international reactions.

Preparation and controversySept 5-6

Days before the funeral, Serbian authorities announced military honors, sparking condemnation from international bodies and victims' associations.

Funeral daySept 7 morning

On Sept 7, thousands gathered at St. Luke's Church and Topcider Cemetery; ceremonies included Orthodox rites and a military guard.

State Funeral Held for Convicted War Criminal Ratko Mladic in Belgrade

Why this matters

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims4 agreed · 1 disputed · 1 unverified

Where they diverge

Coverage gaps

Coverage matrix(22 sources)

The Story

Source Diversity

Source Diversity

Political spectrum

Sources

Thousands of mourners gather in Belgrade for war criminal Mladic's funeral

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital Belgrade

Crowds gather for war criminal Ratko Mladic's funeral in Belgrade

Large crowds gather in Belgrade for funeral of Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic

War criminal Mladic’s funeral draws crowds, EU backlash in Belgrade

Live Blog: War Criminal Ratko Mladic’s Funeral in Serbia

Coverage Timeline

Belgrado, Mladic sepolto con la figlia che si era suicidata per la vergogna

Búist við tugþúsundum við útför Mladićs — Bosníu-slátrarans

Sahrana Mladića: Najviše počasti za haškog osuđenika

Krigsförbrytaren Ratko Mladic begravs i Belgrad

Na pogrebu Ratka Mladića se zbira nepregledna množica

Zašto Srbija ima potrebu slaviti zlo: Sahrana ratnog zločinca kao ogledalo izgubljenog društva i nemoćne Evrope

FOTO Počasna vojna straža, na lijesu sablja: Nepregledna kolona ljudi došla ispratiti ratnog zločinca Ratka Mladića

War criminal Mladic’s funeral draws crowds, EU backlash in Belgrade

Live Blog: War Criminal Ratko Mladic’s Funeral in Serbia

Navijači Zvezde i Partizana slavili Ratka Mladića. Stigla reakcija Majki Srebrenice

Zadnje slovo od vojnega zločinca

Oorlogsmisdadiger Mladic opgebaard in Belgrado, duizenden mensen verwacht

Funerali di Mladic, migliaia di serbi omaggiano il «boia di Srebrenica»

Thousands of mourners gather in Belgrade for war criminal Mladic's funeral

Large crowds gather in Belgrade for funeral of Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic

Sud u Hagu: Osuđujemo glorifikaciju osoba osuđenih pred međunarodnim sudovima za ratne zločine, zločine protiv čovječnosti i genocid

Dan uživo u 16.30h: Pravac genocid

Crowds gather for war criminal Ratko Mladic's funeral in Belgrade

FOTO: Srbi vystrojili odsúdenému vojnovému zločincovi Mladičovi štátny pohreb

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital Belgrade

Sahrana Mladića: Najviše počasti za haškog osuđenika za genocid

Belgrade laidojamas karo nusikaltėlis Ratko Mladičius

Story evolution

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Why this matters

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims4 agreed · 1 disputed · 1 unverified

Where they diverge

Coverage gaps

Coverage matrix(22 sources)

Political spectrum

Story evolution