Red Star Belgrade supporters displayed a large tifo depicting convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic ahead of the club’s derby victory over Partizan Belgrade on Sunday.
Mladic, who died in a United Nations prison in August, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 after being convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian War.
As commander of Bosnian Serb forces, he oversaw military operations that included the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where around 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. His forces were also responsible for the prolonged siege of Sarajevo, during which more than 10,000 people died.
The latest display comes only weeks after UEFA fined Red Star €90,000 (£77,000) over another banner commemorating Mladic. That incident occurred during the club’s Europa League play-off against Czech side Viktoria Plzen last month.
Red Star later shared footage on its official social media channels showing the tifo as well as players from both sides observing a minute’s silence for Mladic before the derby. The post was accompanied by a saluting emoji.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national football team responded angrily to the post through its official X account.
Mladic spent more than a decade avoiding arrest after the Yugoslav wars. He had initially benefited from protection under Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic before eventually being found hiding at a farmhouse and arrested in 2011.
Despite his international convictions and responsibility for some of the worst atrocities committed in Europe since the Second World War, Mladic continues to be revered by some nationalist groups in Serbia.
Thousands of people attended his funeral at a Belgrade church on Monday, highlighting the continued divisions surrounding his legacy.