Re: Urgent Concern Regarding Proposed State and Military Honours for Ratko Mladi?

31 August 2026

The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.

Prime Minister of Canada

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister,

Re: Urgent Concern Regarding Proposed State and Military Honours for Ratko

Mladi?

We are writing on behalf of Bosnia and Hercegovina Community in Canada to express our profound concern following the announcement by Serbia's Justice Minister that Ratko Mladi? is to be accorded state and military honours at his burial.

Ratko Mladi? died while serving a life sentence following his final conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. For survivors and victims' families, the prospect of him receiving official state or military honours is deeply distressing. It risks glorifying a convicted war criminal, encouraging genocide denial and historical revisionism, and undermining reconciliation and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Western Balkans.

We are immensely grateful for Canada's exceptional and longstanding commitment to Srebrenica remembrance and to supporting survivors. 

We particularly recognize the important role of Canada in supporting the 2024 United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Significantly, the resolution also condemns genocide denial and the glorification of individuals convicted by international courts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Canada has consistently called upon political leaders in the region to condemn the glorification of perpetrators of war crimes, reject genocide denial and respect the judgments of international courts. This principled position has been deeply valued by survivors and the Bosnian community in Canada.  Against this background, we respectfully urge Canada's Government to use its diplomatic influence and to raise this matter urgently with the Serbian authorities, with a view to discouraging any official state or military honours being accorded to Ratko Mladi?.

Our concern is not with his right to a burial or with private funeral arrangements. It is specifically with state or military involvement that could transform his funeral into an act of official honour or glorification.

For the survivors and families we support, this is not simply a matter of history. The glorification of those convicted of genocide and war crimes causes continuing pain to victims and risks undermining the difficult work of reconciliation undertaken over the past three decades.

Canada has stood alongside Srebrenica survivors for many years. At this deeply sensitive moment, we  respectfully ask Canada's Government once again to use its voice and influence in defence of truth, justice, remembrance and the dignity of the victims.

Thank you for your consideration and for  Canada's longstanding support for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its people.

Yours sincerely, 

Dr. Emir Ramic 

Director of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada