Lawyers representing convicted Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladić say he is close to death and should be released from prison, according to a request filed with a United Nations court.
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The 84-year-old former general, serving a life sentence for genocide and other crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia, is currently held at a UN detention facility in The Hague. His legal team argues that his health has deteriorated significantly and that he should be transferred to a hospital or hospice.
A judge is now reviewing the request after ordering an independent medical assessment of his condition.
Lawyers cite stroke and worsening health
In a submission to the court, Mladić’s lawyers said he had already been confined to a bed or wheelchair for a prolonged period. They claim his condition worsened after he suffered a suspected stroke during a phone call with his son.
According to the filing, the episode left him largely unable to speak. Two doctors who examined him described his condition as serious and warned that the risk of imminent death was high.
The defence team asked the court to grant provisional or conditional release so he could receive care in a medical facility where Serbian is spoken.
Although the request does not explicitly state where he should be sent, officials in Serbia have indicated they are prepared to accept him if the court approves his release.
Serbia’s justice minister, Nenad Vujic, said the government would provide guarantees to the court if Mladić were allowed to leave detention.
UN judge orders medical review
The request is being considered by Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, who has asked independent medical experts to assess Mladić’s health.
The review is expected to address his current medical condition, the adequacy of treatment available in detention and whether doctors can estimate his life expectancy.
Mladić commanded Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992–95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.
His forces carried out campaigns of ethnic cleansing during the conflict. They also laid siege to Sarajevo, where more than 10,000 people were killed.
He was also convicted for the massacre of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.
Previous release requests rejected
Mladić was indicted by an international tribunal in 1995 but remained in hiding for years before being arrested in rural Serbia in 2011. He went on trial in The Hague the following year and was convicted in 2017.
His life sentence was upheld on appeal in 2021.
His lawyers argue that the prison hospital cannot adequately care for him and that continued detention now amounts to “cruel and inhumane punishment”.
However, groups representing survivors and families of victims strongly oppose any release. They say similar attempts have been made repeatedly and describe the latest request as a legal strategy rather than a humanitarian measure.
Earlier efforts by the defence have been unsuccessful. A bid for release in July 2025 was rejected, and a later request for temporary leave to attend a relative’s memorial service in November 2025 was also denied.
Mladić’s son, Darko Mladić, told Serbian media that he intends to visit his father at the prison hospital next week.
Awaiting the court’s decision
The UN judge has said the medical review will help determine both Mladić’s prognosis and whether the treatment he is receiving in detention is adequate.
The court will decide on the request once the medical findings have been evaluated.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 2 May 2026
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