Kamberi: Glorifying war criminals is taking Serbia further away from EU integration

Shaip Kamberi, an Albanian member of parliament in Serbia, condemned the decision to escort former Serbian commander Ratko Mladić, who was finally found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, to his grave with state and military honors.

Referring to postwar Germany, Kamberi raised the question of how Europe would react if German authorities honored Nazi figures such as Adolf Eichmann, Hermann Göring or Joseph Goebbels.

According to the lawmaker, the ceremonial treatment of Mladić cannot be viewed simply as a family matter, as it sends a political signal and could present a person convicted of genocide as a national symbol.

Kamberi stressed that Serbia, which aspires to membership in the European Union, must confront the crimes of the past rather than honor and glorify those responsible for them.

“Reconciliation cannot be built without the truth, Europe cannot exist without values, and European integration cannot be achieved by honoring war criminals,” Kamberi wrote, also describing the situation as a test for the European Union.