People in Bosnia react to the death of Ratko Mladic, ‘butcher of Bosnia’

Ratko Mladic, former general convicted of orchestrating the 1995 Bosnian genocide, passed away on Thursday, according to his lawyer. The deceased was the mastermind behind the Srebrenica massacre, the worst European atrocity since World War Two, which claimed the lives of at least 8,000 Muslims.

Several reactions were expressed in the aftermath of Mladic's death. Emir Suljagic, head of the Srebrenica Memorial, emphasized that Mladic's demise does not bring back the deceased, nor does it clear mass graves or alter the judgment. The focus now should be on preventing the truth, responsibility, and memory from fading away.

Kada Hotic, whose son and husband were killed by Serb forces in 1995, expressed gratitude to the Tribunal for sentencing Mladic to life imprisonment, stating that justice was served on the day he received his sentence. He died in disgrace, as he caused immense suffering to many people.

Milorad Dodik, a Bosnian Serb separatist leader, acknowledged Mladic's respect among Serbian people, noting that he defended Serbs as a commander. Serbian ultra-nationalist politician Vojislav Seselj claimed that Mladic fought against villains for a long time but ultimately succumbed to them.

The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the trial and imprisonment conditions of Mladic in The Hague, pointing out that they disregarded his basic rights, including health and adequate medical care. The Russian stance was labeled as a blatant manifestation of the tribunal's double standards and anti-Serb bias.

Lastly, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Srebrenica genocide and any actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by international courts. He urged those in positions of power to refrain from denying the seriousness of the crimes adjudicated by international courts.