Bosnia and Herzegovina expels two Serbian diplomats after Mladić’s funeral
Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković announced the expulsion of two Serbian diplomats from the country after Serbian officials attended Ratko Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade. They are Serbia’s defence representative and an adviser to the Serbian intelligence service, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Sarajevo’s reaction
Konaković accused Belgrade of crossing “all red lines” through its actions on the eve of and during the farewell ceremony. Earlier, he also announced plans to recall staff from the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Serbia in order to reduce diplomatic relations to the “lowest possible level.”
According to the publication, at least six Serbian ministers were among thousands of participants in the funeral service, where Mladić was openly glorified. Some attendees wore clothing bearing his image and held placards in his support.
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Criticism from the EU
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa called the participation of Serbian officials in the ceremony “deeply regrettable.” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that Serbia’s path to the European Union requires an unequivocal commitment to fundamental European values and historical truth.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who did not attend the funeral, rejected accusations of glorifying Mladić and said that the ceremony was organized by the family, not the state. At the same time, the participation of ministers, the use of military personnel and a government aircraft to transport Mladić’s body to Belgrade sparked outrage.
Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian war in the 1990s. Among the episodes in his case was his role in the killing of around 8,000 people in Srebrenica.
