The war criminal Ratko Mladić (center): He is considered to be the organizer of the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. (archive photo)Image: www.imago-images.de
In the 1990s, Serbian General Ratko Mladić was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Now he is probably seriously ill – and is hoping for mercy.
May 3, 2026, 1:15 p.mMay 3, 2026, 1:15 p.m
Tobias Schibilla / t-online
Convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić is seriously ill, according to his lawyers. The former Bosnian Serb military chief suffered a medical emergency and is in a state of “advanced, irreversible health decline,” according to an application to a UN court.
Mladić, who is serving a life sentence in The Hague, is believed to have suffered a stroke during a phone call with his son. Since then, the 84-year-old has been unable to speak and has difficulty swallowing, his defense argues. The prison hospital is not sufficiently equipped to provide him with adequate care.
The responsible judge, Graciela Gatti Santana, has ordered an independent medical examination. This is intended to clarify how serious Mladić’s condition is and whether his life expectancy can be reliably estimated. His lawyers are pushing for a quick decision and calling for provisional or early release on humanitarian grounds.
Ex-general organized Srebrenica massacre
Mladić was from the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 2017 convicted of, among other things, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes been. He led the Bosnian Serb forces during the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
A relative of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide strolls through the memorial in Bosnia-Herzegovina.Image: www.imago-images.de
His command included, among other things, the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre. More than 13,000 people were killed during the almost four-year siege of the Bosnian capital. In Srebrenica, Bosnian Serb troops murdered more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys. The crime is considered the worst war crime in Europe since the Second World War.
Criticism from victims’ associations
The application for a possible release from prison has met with sharp criticism from human rights organizations and victims’ associations. Emir Suljagić, director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, said it was unbearable that Mladić might be given a dignified burial while many of his victims remain unidentified to this day.
Serbian human rights activist Nataša Kandić also criticized the demand for humanitarian concessions. There was no humanity for the victims’ families, she explained.
Mladić, however, receives support from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. He appeared incomprehensible that a seriously ill prisoner should not be allowed to spend his last days outside of prison. Mladić’s health is “very serious,” said Vučić.
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