This grotesque spectacle — ministers at the coffin, medals on display, clergy hailing a man convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity — is an affront to the victims and to any serious claim Serbia makes to the rule of law or European values. Brussels was right to warn against glorification: state involvement and public pageantry around Mladić contradict Serbia’s own laws and make a mockery of accountability. If Serbia genuinely wants to join the EU and build a democratic future it must stop enabling the whitewashing of war crimes, strip any de facto honors, investigate officials who broke promises, and prioritize the rights and dignity of the survivors. Reconciliation cannot begin while atrocities are celebrated; truth, justice and education are the only path forward.