‘The butcher may be gone, but to many he is a hero’: victims condemn glorification of Mladić
The death of Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide, has reignited debates over his legacy in the Balkans. While international observers view him as a war criminal, many in the region continue to glorify him, causing deep distress to his victims' families.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing struggle for reconciliation and the persistence of nationalist ideologies in post-conflict societies.
Džemil Hodžić (right) was 12 when his 16-year-old brother Amel (left) was killed by a sniper while playing tennis in Sarajevo in 1995. Photograph: Family handout Džemil Hodžić (right) was 12 when his 16-year-old brother Amel (left) was killed by a sniper while playing tennis in Sarajevo in 1995. Photograph: Family handout Ratko Mladić ‘The butcher may be gone, but to many he is a hero’: victims condemn glorification of Mladić Architect of Srebrenica genocide is dead but those scarred by his atrocities say his ideology is still shockingly pervasive
Prefer the Guardian on Google T o most of the world, he was and will always be the “Butcher of Bosnia”, a grim epithet but one that still fails to fully convey the evil and horror inflicted on its people by Gen Ratko Mladić, who died in prison on Thursday .
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