Hoti criticizes Serbia for glorifying war criminals

Acting Minister for Labor, Family and the Values of the Liberation War Andin Hoti has reacted to a statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that the state would offer assistance for a “dignified” funeral for Ratko Mladić if his family were to request it.

Hoti emphasized that Vučić, who served as a minister in the government of Slobodan Milošević and is now at the helm of Serbia, has expressed his readiness to support Mladić’s funeral ceremony in Serbia. He recalled that Ratko Mladić was sentenced by The Hague to life imprisonment for genocide and other war crimes committed during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Vučić’s desire for a ‘dignified’ funeral for Mladić does not surprise me. What continues to surprise me is the fact that, in 2026, in the heart of Europe, there is still a state that has not fully confronted its past. In this country, war criminals continue to be glorified, while the president ‘dignifies’ people convicted of genocide,” Hoti wrote on Facebook.

He also raised questions about Serbia’s cooperation in foreign policy with Russia, China and Iran, as well as its acquisition of weapons from these states.

According to Hoti, instead of facing isolation and sanctions, Serbia has advanced in the European integration process and opened dozens of negotiation chapters for membership in the European Union.

“What European values can be discussed in this case? What does Serbia represent today for the Western world and the European Union in terms of European and democratic values? The dark criminal mentality, still inspired by the executioners of the 1990s, continues to be present in Belgrade,” Hoti said.