The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) has rejected Jadranko Prlic’s request for early release, concluding that the gravity of his crimes and insufficient rehabilitation outweigh the arguments for his release.
Prlic, former president of the government of the so-called Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, was sentenced by the Hague Tribunal in 2013 to 25 years in prison for serious violations of the Geneva Conventions, breaches of the laws and customs of war, and crimes against humanity. The verdict was confirmed in 2017, and he has been serving his sentence in the United Kingdom (UK) since 2019. Under international standards, Prlic became eligible for early release in April 2024, after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but the court determined that there were no grounds for his release.
The decision emphasizes that the crimes for which he was convicted are exceptionally serious, including ethnic cleansing and the systematic persecution of Bosniaks. Although he has demonstrated good behavior while serving his sentence and has made public statements regarding his responsibility, the court found that his expressions of remorse were not sufficiently clear or supported by concrete actions. Victims’ associations strongly opposed his release, stressing that he had not sincerely expressed remorse. Additionally, the court did not find exceptional humanitarian or health reasons to justify his early release.
Considering all of the above, IRMCT Judge Graciela Gatti Santana concluded that Prlic will remain in prison until the end of his sentence on August 16th, 2032. The decision states: “Taking into account the gravity of the crimes, the protection of communities affected by his actions, the absence of a clear and credible expression of remorse, as well as the opposition of the victims, Prlic currently does not meet the conditions for early release.”
