The United Nations(UN) war crimes court has denied a request from Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader, to be released early from prison on health grounds. Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for his role in the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities committed during the Bosnian war.
Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, said Mladic’s condition did not meet the threshold of an “acute terminal illness” required for early release. Although Mladic’s health has deteriorated due to old age and serious illnesses, his current condition is stable, and he receives comprehensive and compassionate care at the prison hospital in The Hague.
“I acknowledge that Mladic’s current condition, which requires dependency on others for activities of daily living, is precarious,” Santana said. “Nonetheless, Mladic continues to receive very comprehensive and compassionate care, as amply supported by medical reports. The information before me demonstrates that the compelling humanitarian circumstances invoked by Mladic as a basis for his release are not substantiated.”
Mladic was arrested in Serbia in 2011 after 16 years on the run and was convicted in 2017 for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. His sentence was upheld in 2021. The Srebrenica massacre, which occurred in July 1995, resulted in the deaths of approximately 8,000 Muslim men and boys. The Bosnian war, which erupted during Yugoslavia’s dissolution, was marked by ethnic cleansing and violence against civilians.
Mladic’s lawyers had argued that he suffers from an incurable illness and has a drastically shortened life expectancy, claiming that detention conditions hinder access to proper palliative care. However, the court determined that his continued detention does not constitute inhumane or degrading treatment and meets the high standards of humane treatment required for convicted individuals.
The court’s decision means Mladic will remain in prison, serving his life sentence. The Mechanism will continue to monitor his health and ensure that he receives appropriate care and maintains communication with his family. Mladic’s son, Darko, has often spoken to Serbian media about his father’s poor health, and Mladic is still seen as a hero by nationalists in Serbia.