Serbia’s president criticizes UN court for not releasing war criminal Mladic to die at home
Belgrade, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic criticized the United Nations war crimes court in The Hague on Friday for denying an early release for former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died on Thursday at the age of 84 while serving a life sentence for his crimes. Mladic's family and the Serbian government had repeatedly requested his release, claiming his age and declining health warranted it.
Mladic was sentenced to life in prison in 2017 for his role in the 1990s wars in the former Yugoslavia, which left over 100,000 dead and over 1 million homeless. The U.N. tribunal declined Mladic's latest request for release on humanitarian grounds, citing his medical care and visitation regime as reasons. Bosnian Serbs viewed Mladic as a hero, while victims' families considered his death a measure of justice.
The U.N. court opened an inquiry into Mladic's death and visited the detention center where he was held.
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