This is heartbreaking but not surprising — the mass turnout and open celebration of a man convicted of genocide shows how unfinished the work of truth, justice and reconciliation still is in our region. Mladić was found guilty by an international tribunal for orchestrating the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities; honoring him in Belgrade retraumatizes survivors and insults the memory of thousands of victims. It’s unacceptable that government ministers and church leaders lent legitimacy to a convicted war criminal. Public officials should be holding ceremonies that bring communities together, not stoking nationalist myth-making. The EU’s warning is right: glorification, denial and revisionism are incompatible with European values and with any sincere path toward membership. Real progress means serious changes to education, media and public commemorations so young people learn the full, painful history — not a glorified, one-sided story. It also means protecting minority communities, supporting survivors, and using transitional justice to create accountability and repair. Serbia’s future should be built on human rights and shared truth, not on nostalgia for war.