The Hague, Netherlands. A U.N. war crimes court on Thursday denied a request for early release by Ratko Mladic, the 84-year-old Bosnian Serb general convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, who cited deteriorating health.
Humanitarian release bid and court ruling
Mladic, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, is being held in the U.N. detention unit in The Hague.
The court said last month that Mladic had filed a motion for early release on humanitarian grounds because he is in a state of “advanced, irreversible medical decline”.
Medical condition and detention conditions
In its ruling, the court said Mladic is in “the final stages of his life” and described his situation as “dire”.
However, it said conditions at the detention centre ensured his maximum comfort and that detention did not exacerbate his condition.
Access to treatment
“There is no additional treatment available elsewhere that is unavailable in the Netherlands,” the court concluded in denying the request.
“Mladic continues to receive comprehensive and compassionate treatment from qualified doctors, nursing staff, and prison staff.”
Background on conviction
According to earlier court documents and hearings, Mladic suffers from cognitive impairments and has been hospitalised numerous times in recent years.
Mladic led Bosnian Serb forces during Bosnia’s war, part of the breakup of Yugoslavia.
He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including terrorising civilians in Sarajevo and the killing of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys taken prisoner in Srebrenica in 1995.
What impact do you think the court’s decision could have on future humanitarian release requests for convicted war criminals?