Kathmandu— The body of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died last week while serving a life sentence for war crimes, has been returned to Belgrade for burial. The casket, draped in the Serbian national flag, was received with military honours on Thursday after being flown from The Hague, where he had been detained by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Conviction and Death

Mladic was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). He died last week at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence in a UN detention facility. His remains were handed over to his family on Thursday afternoon at Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Military Honours and Public Response

The coffin was carried from the plane by six soldiers, accompanied by Mladic’s son Darko and Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic. Pro-government media reported that a military commemoration will be held on Saturday, with the funeral planned for Monday. Vujic stated that Serbia's police and state security agency predict tens of thousands could attend the service.

Many Serbs consider Mladic a hero despite his conviction by the UN tribunal. Thousands have held vigils and marches in his honour, drawing condemnation from other countries in the region.

International Reaction

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia condemned any actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by international courts. The EU’s enlargement commissioner warned that “the glorification of war criminals has no place in an EU member country nor in a candidate country.” Serbia is formally seeking European Union entry but remains defiant over its role in the wars following Yugoslavia's breakup.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

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Originally published on abcnews.com.np.