THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international tribunal has mandated a comprehensive medical examination for Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader dubbed the “Butcher of Bosnia,” after his legal team petitioned for his humanitarian release due to declining health at age 84.
The former commander received a life sentence in 2017 for his role in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during Bosnia’s devastating 1992-95 conflict.
Defense attorneys argue that Mladic has entered an “advanced, irreversible medical decline” and merits release on compassionate grounds.
Court documents reveal the ex-general required emergency medical treatment earlier this month for undisclosed health complications.
Judge Graciela Gatti Santana has mandated an independent health evaluation to be completed by May 1, seeking details about Mladic’s “current health condition” and the quality of medical care at his detention center, where he has remained for 15 years.
The Yugoslav conflict began following the nation’s dissolution in the early 1990s, with Bosnia experiencing the most severe atrocities. The war claimed over 100,000 lives and displaced millions before peace accords were reached in 1995.
Following approximately a decade in hiding, Mladic was captured in Serbia during May 2011.
The defiant Bosnian Serb commander was removed from the United Nations war crimes tribunal courtroom while his sentence was announced, after shouting at the panel: “Everything you said is pure lies. Shame on you!”
Mladic represented the final prominent figure to face prosecution for the conflict that concluded over 25 years ago. His case is now under review by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which handles remaining matters from the defunct U.N. courts for Rwanda and the Balkans.
The tribunal previously rejected his bid for early release in 2025, stating his “conditions of detention continue to be in full compliance with the principles of humanity and respect for human dignity.” Judges also refused his November request to visit Serbia for a funeral.
