The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague rejected the request of the defense of former Bosnian Serb Army Commander Ratko Mladic for early release due to health conditions. The 83-year-old war criminal is serving a life sentence for genocide and other war crimes, reports Ukrinform.
The court ruled that although Mladic's health is weakened, he remains stable, and this is not a reason for release. The decision notes that he is under the supervision of doctors in the prison in The Hague, receiving necessary assistance, and his conditions meet all humanitarian standards.
'Unconditional medical conclusions indicate that Mladic is nearing the end of his life - just like all humans,' said Judge Graciela Gatti Santana. At the same time, she added that he does not have an acute terminal illness that would justify his release.
Mladic's son claimed about his father's allegedly unsatisfactory health. It is known that Mladic underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker. Exact medical information about the convicted individual is not disclosed - it has been removed from the published documents. It is only known that he suffers from cognitive impairments and has been hospitalized at least twice this year.
Confirmed Sentence of Mladic for Crimes in Bosnia
On November 22, 2017, the tribunal sentenced Mladic to life imprisonment for his role in the genocide of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, the deportation of civilians, terrorism, hostage-taking, and other violations of the laws and customs of war and crimes against humanity committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. In March 2018, Mladic's lawyers filed an appeal with the International Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, whose jurisdiction covers all unfinished proceedings of the tribunal.
In June 2021, the Appeals Chamber of the court in The Hague definitively upheld Mladic's life sentence, confirming his responsibility for one of the most horrific episodes of the Bosnian war and the worst massacre in Europe after World War II. The court's decision reaffirms the principle of inevitable punishment for war crimes regardless of the age and health status of the convicted.
The International Residual Mechanism denied the Bosnian War participant Ratko Mladic the application of an error in his favor due to health conditions and established that he continues to serve a life sentence for the crimes committed. The judges emphasized that even the health of the convicted cannot obstruct the pursuit of justice and punishment for war crimes for which they have been convicted.