Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, could not escape death. But his fascist ideas and ideology live on
When I testified against Mladić at his trial in The Hague, I saw the unrepentant face of a mass murderer. That face and his legacy still haunt Serbia today
TL;DR
- Ratko Mladić, a key figure in the Bosnian War, died at 84 while serving his sentence for war crimes and genocide.
- Despite his convictions, Mladić is still considered a hero by many Serbs in Republika Srpska and Serbia, evidenced by public tributes and continued admiration.
- The legacy of Mladić's violence and ethnic cleansing is compounded by a widespread denial of atrocities and continued animosity towards non-Serb populations in Bosnia.
- The ideology of a "Greater Serbia" and ethnic purity, which Mladić embodied, continues to influence political discourse and public sentiment in the region.
- Survivors of Mladić's massacres and those who have returned to their homes in Republika Srpska continue to face harassment and intimidation.