The defense of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić filed an urgent request on April 30, 2026, with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), seeking his temporary or early release on what they say are “humanitarian grounds.”
In a submission submitted to the Mechanism’s president, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, the lawyers for war criminal Ratko Mladić claim that his health has suddenly and irreversibly deteriorated, and that he is “in the final stages of his life.”
The defense alleges that war criminal Ratko Mladić recently suffered a serious neurological incident, accompanied by complete loss of speech and difficulty swallowing, which led to his urgent hospitalization. According to their claims, his condition has since deteriorated further, and he is now largely immobile and confined to a bed or wheelchair.
The request states that he is in “advanced and irreversible medical decline,” with a range of diagnoses including heart problems, kidney damage, diabetes, and neurological complications that point to a possible stroke.
The defense also claims that war criminal Ratko Mladić is no longer capable of meaningful communication, even with family members and lawyers, which they say is further complicating his treatment.
The submission also criticizes the medical care provided at the United Nations detention facility in The Hague. Citing doctors’ reports, the defense argues that there are inadequate conditions for continuous monitoring of his condition, including the lack of regular ECG monitoring, 24-hour monitoring of vital signs, and other key diagnostic procedures.
It also states that the prison hospital cannot provide the level of care required for a terminally ill patient, and that “hospice care outside the prison system” would be more appropriate.
Argument that there is no risk of flight
The defense emphasizes that war criminal Ratko Mladić, due to his health condition, allegedly does not pose any risk of flight. They refer to previous case law according to which serious illness and the need for palliative care exclude the possibility of hiding or flight.
They also emphasize that his son, who has the authority to make medical decisions, could participate more effectively in the treatment if war criminal Ratko Mladić were released.
In conclusion, the defense argues that continued detention in such circumstances could constitute “inhuman and degrading treatment”, and requests that war criminal Ratko Mladić be allowed to receive treatment outside the prison system, while maintaining certain security measures.
They emphasize that, as they state, he should be allowed “a dignified end to his life in the family circle and with adequate medical care”.
War criminal Ratko Mladić has been sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide in Srebrenica, persecution, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Requests for early or temporary release of those convicted of the most serious war crimes in the practice of international courts are considered extremely restrictively, especially considering the gravity of the committed acts and the interests of justice and victims.
Although international law provides for the possibility of humanitarian release in cases of terminal illness, fulfilling this specific request would certainly cause outrage among the public and victims’ associations, who recall that the gravity of the crime and the suffering of the victims must remain the key factor in making a decision.
The final request of the defense of war criminal Ratko Mladić will be decided by the President of the Mechanism in the coming period.
