Deteriorating Health of Bosnian Serb War Criminal Mladic Causes Early Release Request
Bosnian Serb war felon Mladic seeks for his discharge
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic, convicted war criminal and mass murderer, has applied for early release from prison citing a terminal illness.
While the medical service of the UN prison in The Hague balks at issuing a final prognosis, Mladic's lawyer points to his rapidly deteriorating condition. In a letter to news agency, AFP, the lawyer wrote that Mladic is approaching the end of his life, though an official prognosis remains elusive.[1]
Over the years Mladic has been depicted as frail and ailing by his circle, so his latest health-related application for release dates back to 2017. Mladic, 80 years old, has been a fugitive for 16 years until his arrest in Serbia in 2011.[1] He was later convicted for his involvement in the Srebrenica massacre and other war crimes during the Bosnian War, securing a life sentence.[1] In 2021, a UN tribunal confirmed the genocide charges against him.[1]
Some Serbs still venerate Mladic as a hero, despite his heinous crimes. The massacre of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in the summer of 1995, a grisly event considered one of Europe's worst war crimes since WWII, was orchestrated under Mladic's command.[1]
As of now, the request for Mladic's release is under review by the International Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT)[1][2], awaiting a decision. Mladic's defense has made it clear that continued detention, given his rapidly deteriorating health, would be inhumane and incompatible with his medical needs.[2]
Footnotes:1. Converted from ntv.de via AFP2. Reuters3. BBC4. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia5. Genocide Watch6. The Hague Peace Palace
The discussion regarding the deteriorating health of Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic has reached a critical point, stirring debates in general-news, war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and politics. As Mladic's lawyer appeals for early release due to his critical health condition, the decision remains with the International Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, emphasizing the significance of this event beyond Bosnian borders.
