US lawmakers condemn Mladic glorification during Srebrenica visit, call for sanctions

“Remembering Srebrenica requires defending the truth. Ratko Mladić died a convicted war criminal, held responsible for genocide at Srebrenica as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes. His funeral today is not an occasion for his glorification,” Dr. Murphy and Mr. Veasey said. “Genocide denial and the glorification of convicted war criminals are not only morally wrong, but also deepen ethnic divisions, intimidate survivors, and undermine the stability and democratic future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.

“We call on the Administration to fully implement existing US sanctions authorities, including by restoring or imposing targeted sanctions against individuals whose actions threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina’s peace and stability or undermine the Dayton framework, pursuant to the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act."

The burial of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic took place in Serbia, attended by numerous officials from the entity of Republika Srpska. The move by the neighboring country to bury the Srebrenica executioner with high military honors drew numerous sharp reactions.

Ratko Mladic was sentenced before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to life imprisonment for, among other things, the persecution of Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the siege of Sarajevo, the murder of more than 8,000 people in Srebrenica, and the taking of UNPROFOR personnel hostage.