Ratko Mladic, former Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide, dies in The Hague at 84
Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic, sentenced to life imprisonment for the Srebrenica genocide and the siege of Sarajevo, died at age 84 in Scheveningen prison.
Imprisonment and death in Scheveningen
Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic died on Thursday evening at the age of 84 in the United Nations detention unit in Scheveningen, The Hague. Mladic was serving a life sentence following his conviction for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Serbian media and prison authorities confirmed his passing after a period of declining health. His defense team and family had made multiple requests for medical release, including an appeal by his son in 2022 and another in 2025, but international judges rejected each bid. He spent his final 15 years in detention in the Netherlands.
Wartime command in Sarajevo and Srebrenica
Born in 1942 in Kalinovik, Mladic lost his father in 1945 during combat between partisans and Croatian fascist forces. After completing his studies at Belgrade's military-industrial school, he pursued a career in the Yugoslav military, attaining the rank of general in 1991. Following the outbreak of the Bosnian war in 1992, he took command of the Army of Republika Srpska. Over three years of conflict that caused more than 200,000 deaths, Mladic oversaw the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and directed heavy artillery strikes against civilians. Retired Belgian General Francis Briquemont, who commanded UN peacekeepers in Bosnia between July 1993 and January 1994, described Mladic in his memoirs.
Mladic was a violent, cunning warrior, a demagogue without any scruple. His unquestionable authority was not doubted. I even wonder if he had a heart, and whether a shred of humanity remained in him.
In July 1995, Mladic led forces into the UN-declared safe haven of Srebrenica, overwhelming 370 lightly armed Dutch peacekeepers from Dutchbat III under Lieutenant Colonel Thom Karremans. Bosnian Serb troops separated families before executing boys and men. Casualty figures recorded in reporting range between 7,800 and 8,400 victims, with 8,372 individually identified Bosniak males killed in the enclave.
Evading arrest and trial in The Hague
- Attains the rank of general in the Yugoslav People's Army
- Assumes command of the newly formed Army of Republika Srpska
- Directs the capture of Srebrenica and the execution of Bosniak men and boys
- Arrested by Serbian police at a relative's home after 15 years in hiding
- Sentenced to life imprisonment by the ICTY for genocide and war crimes
- Appeals chamber upholds the life sentence on all counts
- Dies at age 84 in the UN detention unit in Scheveningen
Following the 1995 Dayton peace agreement, Mladic evaded international arrest warrants for 15 years. He initially lived openly in Serbia, attending soccer matches and social gatherings, before retreating into deeper hiding. In May 2011, Serbian police arrested him at a relative's residence in northern Serbia. The trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) spanned 530 sitting days, including testimonies from more than 500 witnesses and the submission of 10,000 exhibits. Presiding judge Alphons Orie pronounced the sentence on 22 November 2017 after Mladic was removed from the courtroom for shouting at the bench.
The crimes committed rank among the most heinous known to humankind.
Judicial aftermath and regional divisions
The tribunal found Mladic guilty on 10 of 11 counts, including genocide in Srebrenica, terror, and unlawful attacks on civilians in Sarajevo. Mladic maintained throughout the proceedings that he was carrying out military duties to defend the Serb population. An international appeals chamber rejected his challenge in 2021, upholding the life sentence in full. His death in Scheveningen concludes the final proceedings among the top military leadership tried for the 1992–1995 Bosnian war.
