Published on: 2026-09-09
Source: United Nations
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September 8, 2026 International Law
The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, is concerned about “public manifestations of genocide denial and glorification” in Serbia, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the “convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.”
Recall that the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, General Ratko Mladić, died on August 27 in a prison in The Hague at the age of 85.
The statement published on Tuesday by the Special Adviser says that large public events in memory of Mladić, as well as the participation of Serbian political figures in them, are “highly inappropriate.” Such actions, according to Chaloka Beyani, diminish the severity of serious crimes, infringe upon the dignity and memory of the victims harmed by the crimes for which Mladić was found guilty. Beyani also stated that such actions “are incompatible with efforts to strengthen accountability, mutual understanding, and sustainable peace in the region.”
Bejani reminded that the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice established that in 1995 a “genocide was committed” in Srebrenica. Mladić, as the commander of the Army of the Republika Srpska, was found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws and customs of war. In 2017, the tribunal sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Special Advisor Beyani joined the statement of the Secretary-General, published in connection with the death of Ratko Mladić, as well as the UN chief’s call for all persons in leadership positions to refrain from denying the gravity of the crimes he committed.
“Building a society where the priority is the prevention of mass atrocities begins with the acknowledgment of reality and the truth about past events,” Beyani said. “It also involves recognizing the pain and suffering of all victims. The voices of those advocating for such developments must be louder and more persuasive than the voices of those who deny the truth about the past.”
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