EU Parliament to Debate Mladić Funeral, Serbia's War Crime Glorification

The European Parliament is set to debate the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. They will also discuss the glorification of war crimes in Serbia. This discussion will take place during a plenary session in Strasbourg. It is scheduled to begin at 2:15 PM.

After the debate, a resolution is expected to be adopted. Ratko Mladić was buried on September 7 in Belgrade. His funeral included state and military honors.

Top EU officials have condemned the glorification of Ratko Mladić. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and the President of the European Council spoke out against it. Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement, canceled her visit to Belgrade. She questioned if Serbia is still suitable to be a candidate for EU membership.

Tonino Picula, the European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, also commented. He suggested the EU should rethink negotiations with Serbia's current government. This was due to how Mladić's funeral was organized. Mladić was a commander in the Army of Republika Srpska. He died on August 27 at the age of 85. He was in a hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence. He was convicted of genocide in Srebrenica. He was also found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mladić was indicted in 1995 and arrested in Serbia in 2011.