Lawyers for Ratko Mladić have requested his release from a United Nations detention unit in The Hague, citing his rapidly deteriorating health. According to court documents, the tribunal president, Graciela Gatti Santana, has ordered an independent medical evaluation to assess his condition and the adequacy of his care.
Multiple news organisations have reported that the 84-year-old former Bosnian Serb general recently suffered a stroke, leaving him barely able to communicate. His son, Darko Mladić, told local media that a UN-authorised doctor diagnosed a silent minor stroke. The defence team provided additional details, describing an acute neurological episode that caused sudden total aphasia — a complete loss of speech — and severe difficulty swallowing, which Darko Mladić observed during a video call with his father. According to the defence, the aphasia and swallowing problems were immediately apparent and have not improved, severely limiting his ability to engage with the outside world.
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the severity of Mladić’s medical condition. Sources familiar with the case disclosed that on April 17, 2026, Mladić suffered an emergency medical incident and was briefly transferred to a civilian hospital, but was discharged the same day in what officials described as stable condition. However, his lawyers, citing doctors' reports, contend that his condition is far graver, describing it as advanced, irreversible, and life-threatening. They assert that he is nearing the end of his life and that the prison hospital cannot provide the necessary level of care.
Mladić is 84 years old and is serving a life sentence in the UN detention unit in The Hague, where he has been held since his capture in 2011. The unit, part of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, houses individuals convicted of war crimes from the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
His arrest in 2011 ended a 16-year manhunt. Mladić was found in a relative’s house in the village of Lazarevo in northern Serbia, living under an assumed identity. He had been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 1995 for genocide and other atrocities, but evaded capture with the help of sympathisers and a network of loyalists.
In 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Mladić on 10 counts, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He was found to have exercised command responsibility over Bosnian Serb forces that committed widespread atrocities during the 1992–1995 war. The tribunal specifically held him responsible for the Srebrenica massacre of July 1995, in which approximately 8,000 to 9,000 Bosniak men and boys were systematically murdered after the fall of the UN-declared "safe area." The conviction and life sentence were upheld on appeal in 2021, with judges rejecting all grounds of challenge.
According to historical records, throughout the Yugoslav wars, Mladić served as the supreme commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb military force. International media and human rights groups frequently referred to him as the "Butcher of Bosnia" due to his role in the siege of Sarajevo and the campaign of ethnic cleansing.
His legal team now argues that he urgently needs to be moved to a healthcare facility with Serbian-speaking staff, insisting that language barriers and inadequate care in the detention unit are compounding his suffering and hindering recovery. They maintain that continued imprisonment under these conditions amounts to cruel treatment and are ultimately seeking his repatriation to Serbia or a neighbouring country where he can be close to family.
According to media reports, the Serbian justice ministry has indicated that Belgrade is prepared to provide guarantees to the tribunal if Mladić is released. These would include assurances that he would not pose a threat to any victims or witnesses and would comply with any conditions set by the court.
Bosnian survivors' and victims' organisations are firmly opposed to any early release, denouncing the request as an attempt to evade justice under the pretence of ill-health. A spokesperson for one group stated that the request is not motivated by humanitarian concerns, noting that his lawyers have previously raised similar arguments without success. They insist that his crimes were so grave that any leniency would betray the memory of those killed and undermine the tribunal's legacy.
According to court documents, acting on the defence's application, Judge Gatti Santana has instructed that confidential expert opinions be obtained to evaluate Mladić’s diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, and life expectancy, as well as the adequacy of care available in the detention unit or prison hospital. The order followed the legal team's request, which included reports from two unnamed experts who visited Mladić on April 22, according to sources. These experts are expected to provide crucial testimony regarding his fitness to remain in detention.
The release request was filed on April 23, according to multiple sources, but the formal motion recorded by the tribunal bears the date April 30. This discrepancy may reflect separate legal filings or procedural delays, and legal analysts suggest it could be significant if the completeness of medical evidence at the time of submission is at issue.
According to sources familiar with the tribunal's process, the impending expert reports will form the primary basis for the decision on whether to grant humanitarian release. A ruling is expected once the reports are submitted, and any decision could be subject to appeal. The case forces a difficult balance between compassion for a dying man and the imperative of accountability for genocide.