Ratko Mladić, convicted of genocide, has again requested his release on health grounds
Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb commander sentenced to life in prison, has once again filed a petition for release on humanitarian grounds, citing a sharp deterioration in his health.
This was reported by Balkan Insight.
Lawyers for the 84-year-old Mladić claim that his condition is critical and steadily deteriorating. The petition states that he is experiencing a “profound and irreversible” decline in health and is “approaching his final days.”
The document also mentions a recent serious neurological episode during which Mladić temporarily lost the ability to speak and had difficulty swallowing. As a result, he was rushed to the hospital.
The defense claims that the doctors who examined the convict assessed his condition as life-threatening and unable to be fully stabilized within the prison medical system.
Ratko Mladić is serving a life sentence following a 2021 verdict in which he was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War of 1992–1995, including participation in the siege of Sarajevo and the genocide in Srebrenica.
While in custody in the Netherlands, he has already suffered several strokes and heart attacks.
Last year, the court had already rejected a similar motion for release. At that time, the defense also emphasized his poor health and claimed that the convicted man had “perhaps a month” left to live. The court responded by noting that the prison system provides an adequate level of medical care.
Earlier, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague rejected a request for the release of the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, 83-year-old Ratko Mladić. He is serving a life sentence and is seeking early release due to his health condition.
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