The defense of Ratko Mladic, former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) convicted of genocide and war crimes, has submitted an urgent request to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT) for temporary or early release, citing humanitarian reasons due to his serious health condition.
The request states that Mladic has been officially diagnosed with a condition that requires transition to palliative care, with an assessment that his life expectancy is limited to only a few months. His health condition, according to the defense, is incompatible with continued detention in the United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU).
The defense emphasizes that since March 2024, Mladic has suffered at least three serious medical incidents, which UNDU doctors characterized as “potentially life-threatening,” including multiple organ failure and complications requiring constant hospitalization. The medical team warned that Mladic‘s condition is allegedly deteriorating rapidly and that full recovery is not expected.
“Without the intensive medical care he is currently receiving, his health condition would rapidly worsen, making his continued detention incompatible with medical circumstances,” states a report from a neurologist at UNDU.
The defense also claims that Mladic is socially and linguistically isolated in the prison hospital, which further deteriorates his psychophysical well-being in the final stage of life. Placement in a more humane environment, among family and with medical support in his native language, is considered the only ethically acceptable solution.
The submission refers to numerous precedents in which similar requests were granted to convicts with terminal illnesses, regardless of the severity of the crimes committed. The defense emphasizes that Serbia is ready to accept Mladic if his release is approved.
“The prolonged detention of Mr. Mladic under these circumstances constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment,” concludes the submission, with a call to the MICT president to make a decision on his release as soon as possible.
MICT has not yet responded to the request, and the verdict sentencing Mladic to life imprisonment for the genocide in Srebrenica and other crimes against humanity remains final.
