The Butcher of Bosnia, Ratko Mladić, Denied Release for Relative’s Funeral

WISE NEWS PRESS / THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS — NOVEMBER 12, 2025

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) has rejected a request for temporary release filed by Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladić, who is serving a life sentence for his role in genocide and war crimes committed during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). Mladić had sought a seven-day temporary release to attend a relative's memorial service.

Judge Graciella Gatti Santana, President of the IRMCT, dismissed the application, stating that the request was "far above the limit for temporary release on humanitarian grounds."

'No Room for Different Treatment'

Judge Santana emphasized that Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, cannot be an exception, reminding that no prisoner has been released for the same reason in the past. The judge further noted that Mladić’s previous requests for temporary release had been rejected due to a "risk of flight," recalling that he evaded justice for 16 years before his capture in 2011.

The Court also rejected a separate request for early release on health grounds made in July. Mladić's defense attorneys had claimed that the 83-year-old had only a few months left to live and was receiving palliative care. However, the Court did not accept these arguments, upholding his life sentence.

Conviction for Srebrenica Genocide

Mladić, infamously known as 'The Butcher of Bosnia,' was the principal figure responsible for the Srebrenica genocide in July 1995, where over 8,000 predominantly Bosniak men and boys were executed.

In 2021, the International Court upheld Mladić's life sentence. He was convicted for the following crimes:

• Srebrenica Genocide

• Attacks against civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo

• Taking United Nations peacekeepers hostage

Mladić continues to serve his life sentence.

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