Ratko Mladić's body transported to Belgrade by Serbian government plane

The body of the late commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, Ratko Mladić, who died in The Hague where he was convicted of genocide and other war crimes, was transported to Belgrade today by a Serbian government plane.

The body was welcomed at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport by Mladić's son, Darko Mladić.

The coffin, covered with the flags of Serbia and Republika Srpska, was carried out of the plane by six members of the Serbian Army in military uniforms.

According to media reports, Mladić's body will be transported to the Military Medical Academy (MMA), where an autopsy will be performed.

The media previously reported that Mladić will be buried on Monday, September 7, at the Topčider Cemetery in Belgrade, while a commemoration will be held two days earlier, on Saturday, at the Army Hall in Belgrade.

They also state that Mladić's body will be on display on Monday at the Church of St. Luke in Vidikovac from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while the funeral will begin at 12:35 p.m., after which the funeral procession will head to the Topčider Cemetery, where Mladić will be buried.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said earlier today that Mladić's body had been taken from The Hague and should arrive in Serbia today.

He added that security services estimate that tens of thousands of citizens will be present at the funeral and that the state will have to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

"We have to secure everything for the cemetery itself, the burial site. A very, very demanding job for our services and we will use all available forces to ensure safety for all citizens," said Vučić.

Former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska Ratko Mladić, sentenced in The Hague to life imprisonment for genocide and other war crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, died on August 27 at the age of 85 in The Hague detention hospital.

Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 after being found guilty of genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity against Muslims and Croats in 15 municipalities of BiH, terrorizing civilians during the siege of Sarajevo, and taking UN peacekeepers hostage.