Bosnia & Herzegovina UK Network has written to the Prime Minister and senior representatives of the UK Government, urging Britain to use its diplomatic influence following reports concerning the proposed granting of state and military honours to Ratko Mladić in Serbia.
Bosnia & Herzegovina UK Network was established during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s by people directly affected by war, persecution and displacement. For 30 years, we have supported Bosnian refugees and survivors who rebuilt their lives in the United Kingdom, including survivors and families affected by the Srebrenica genocide.
Ratko Mladić died while serving a life sentence following his final conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Network is deeply concerned that official state or military honours for a convicted war criminal could cause further pain to survivors and victims’ families, contribute to genocide denial and historical revisionism, and undermine reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Western Balkans.
Zaim Pašić, Chairman of Bosnia & Herzegovina UK Network, said:
“For survivors and families of the victims, this is not simply a matter of history. Honouring someone convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes would cause enormous pain and send a deeply troubling message.
We are asking the UK Government to use its diplomatic influence to discourage any official state or military glorification of Ratko Mladić.”
The Network has also highlighted the United Kingdom’s longstanding commitment to Srebrenica remembrance and its support for the 2024 United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
Our concern is not with Ratko Mladić’s right to a burial or with private funeral arrangements. It is specifically with any state or military involvement that could transform his funeral into an act of official honour or glorification.
The Network has raised its concerns with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other relevant UK representatives, asking His Majesty’s Government to use its diplomatic influence to raise the matter with the Serbian authorities.
The United Kingdom has stood alongside Srebrenica survivors for many years. At this deeply sensitive moment, we are asking Britain once again to stand for truth, justice, remembrance and the dignity of the victims.
