Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujić visited convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić today at the detention facility in The Hague, subsequently meeting with Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).
Minister Vujić issued a formal appeal for Mladić’s urgent release on humanitarian grounds, requesting he be transferred to Serbia for medical treatment due to a critical decline in his health.
Health Status and Official Request
Following the visit, Vujić spoke to the media, describing Mladić’s condition as “extremely grave.” According to the Minister, the 84-year-old is barely communicative and was brought to the meeting in a hospital bed rather than a wheelchair.
“I presented the requests of the Mladić family and the Republic of Serbia, providing state guarantees for his release for humanitarian reasons,” Vujić stated. “This is not a matter of politics; it is a matter of life. It is essential he receives adequate care in a professional medical institution.”
Vujić further argued that continued detention under these conditions violates international standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules, which mandate that prisoners receive specialist care and that punishment should not equate to “vengeance.”
Background on Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Army of the Republika Srpska, is serving a life sentence for his role during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). His final conviction in 2021 upheld charges on several counts of gravity, including:
- The Srebrenica Genocide (1995): The massacre of over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys.
- The Siege of Sarajevo: A nearly four-year campaign of shelling and sniped fire against civilians.
- Crimes Against Humanity: Including persecution, extermination, and forced deportation.
- Hostage-Taking: The abduction of UN peacekeepers.
The Legal Standpoint
The IRMCT has previously denied similar requests for early or provisional release. In July 2025, the court ruled that Mladić’s condition did not meet the threshold of “acute terminal illness” required for humanitarian release.
While two Serbian doctors—a cardiologist and a neurologist—are scheduled to examine Mladić this Wednesday (April 22), the court has not yet indicated whether it will reconsider its stance in light of the new appeal and the deteriorating clinical reports.
