Lawyers for convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic have asked a UN court to release him from detention, arguing that the 84-year-old is gravely ill and near death.
Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). His sentence was upheld on appeal in 2021.
In a submission filed on Friday, his legal team stated that Mladic has been bedridden or wheelchair-bound for an extended period and recently suffered a suspected stroke during a call with his son, leaving him barely able to speak. Two doctors have assessed his condition as serious, warning of a "high risk of imminent death." The lawyers are calling for his immediate provisional or conditional release to a hospital or hospice where Serbian is spoken, implicitly seeking his return to Serbia.
Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic has indicated that the government is prepared to provide guarantees to the court if Mladic is released.
Judge Graciela Gatti Santana has ordered an independent health assessment, which was expected to deliver its findings on Friday. The assessment will evaluate Mladic's current condition, treatment options, life expectancy, and the adequacy of care at the UN detention facility where he has been held since 2011.
Mladic commanded Bosnian Serb forces during the war, which involved the siege of Sarajevo (over 10,000 deaths) and the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 men and boys. He evaded capture for 16 years before being arrested in Serbia in 2011.
Bosnian victim and survivor groups strongly oppose his release, viewing it as a legal tactic rather than a humanitarian request. They note that similar attempts have been made repeatedly over the years.
Mladic's son Darko told Serbian media there has been no recent change in his father's health and that he plans to visit him next week.
A previous request for release in July 2025 was denied, and a bid for temporary release in November 2025 to attend a family memorial was also rejected.