BELGRADE — Ratko Mladic's remains were flown to Belgrade on a Serbian government plane from The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday. European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia on Friday.

Kos stated the cancellation was due to the glorification of Mladic following his death. "The glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built," she said.

Upon landing in Belgrade, Mladic's coffin was wrapped in the Serbian national flag. Six soldiers carried Mladic's coffin from the plane in Belgrade. Serbian soldiers carried Mladic's body from the plane to a van for transport to the military hospital. Serbia's Justice Minister Nenad Vujic was on the plane with Mladic's family members.

Nationalist admirers lit flares as the convoy carrying Mladic's body passed. Thousands of Serbs held vigils and marches in honor of Mladic after his death. Mladic died one week before his remains were transported to Belgrade. He was 84 years old at the time of his death and died in a hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence.

The UN court confirmed in a written statement that Mladic's remains were handed over to his next of kin at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on Thursday afternoon. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia condemned any actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by international courts.

Marta Kos stated that the days leading up to the burial would be a very important test for Serbia. She added that "Ratko Mladic was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes." Kos also said, "The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages in our recent history."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic defended the arrangements and dismissed the criticism. He stated that he has previously scheduled meetings for Monday. Vucic accused the West and The Hague tribunal of blaming only Serbs for war crimes and bringing no justice for Serb victims. He also accused the court of uncivilized behavior for not releasing Mladic on humanitarian grounds to die at home.

Darko Mladic stated at a news conference on Friday that a military commemoration is planned for Saturday. He also stated that Mladic will be buried on Monday. Darko Mladic said his father would be buried at the Topcider cemetery in the Serbian capital. He asked supporters to use public transport and keep the funeral peaceful and dignified, without provocations.

Serbian media said a commemoration ceremony will take place on Saturday in the army hall in central Belgrade and the funeral will be held in a church in a Belgrade suburb on Monday, with Mladic then buried at a cemetery beside his daughter. Mladic's coffin will be placed in a church in Belgrade on Monday morning for public respects before the funeral and burial later that day.

Nenad Vujic stated that Serbia’s police and state security agency predicted that tens of thousands of people could attend the funeral service. Vucic predicted that Mladic's admirers could come to the funeral in large numbers.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty urged authorities in Serbia and the Serb-run entity of Bosnia to counter the glorification of convicted war criminals. He stated that glorifying convicted war criminals is illegal in Bosnia and is not protected speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot stated that granting funeral honors for Mladic would be shameful and disrespectful for the victims. Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated that if Serbia was to organize a state funeral for Mladic it would close the door to the European Union. Vladimir Prebilic, a European Parliament member from Slovenia, urged the European People’s Party to cut its ties to Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party.

Why It Matters

Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership. Serbia's EU bid has stalled due to democratic backsliding and its refusal to join international sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. The events described span 22 years, from 1995 to 2017.

Mladic was sentenced in 2017 to life imprisonment by a U.N. court. He was convicted for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995. The massacre in Srebrenica was Europe’s first acknowledged genocide after World War II.

Mladic was convicted for the yearslong siege of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict. Mladic was convicted over the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, during which about 10,000 people were killed. Mladic was convicted for setting up concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers. The war in Bosnia killed more than 100,000 people and left over 1 million homeless before ending in 1995. The war in Bosnia ended in 1995 in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.

Timeline

In 2017, Mladic was convicted for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995.

What's New

Additional details confirmed that Mladic was 84 years old at the time of his death.

Vucic accused the court of uncivilized behavior for not releasing Mladic on humanitarian grounds to die at home. Serbian President Vucic has cast doubt on the idea of a funeral with state honours. Minister Vujic on Friday, when questioned about state honours, just said that the state would provide all the family was entitled to, out of respect for the family’s wishes and according to the laws of the state of Serbia. Mladic died in a hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence.

How Sources Differ

Michael O’Flaherty stated, "I abhor the public glorification of Ratko Mladic, a deceased war criminal convicted for the Srebrenica genocide and crimes against humanity." The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentencing judgment stated that Mladic was convicted for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentencing judgment stated that Mladic was convicted for the yearslong siege of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict.