Rogatica displays billboard honoring convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić

In Rogatica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a billboard featuring the image of Ratko Mladić, a convicted war criminal, has been installed near the entrance to the town from the direction of Goražde. The billboard includes the message ‘Slava ti generale’ (Glory to you, general) and the insignia of the Army of Republika Srpska.

The display coincides with a gathering of over 200 members of the wartime Rogatica Brigade, where the 1992–1995 conflict period is referred to as ‘famous days.’ Participants include individuals previously convicted of crimes against humanity and commanders currently facing trial for war crimes.

These commemorations occur in a region where judicial records and survivor testimonies document systematic persecution, including the killing, torture, and sexual abuse of Bosniak civilians. During the war, detention facilities such as the ‘Veljko Vlahović’ high school and the ‘Rasadnik’ facility were used to hold and mistreat prisoners. On August 15, 1992, 24 Bosniaks, including four minors, were killed following their removal from the ‘Rasadnik’ facility.

According to the Institute for Missing Persons of BiH, 435 victims have been exhumed in the Rogatica area, while approximately 300 people remain missing. Families continue to search for the remains of their loved ones as the community grapples with the glorification of wartime figures.