Ratko Mladic, convicted of Srebrenica genocide, dies at 84 in The Hague
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime commander convicted of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, died on August 27 at the age of 84 in a UN prison hospital in The Hague. Serbian state broadcaster RTS and a UN official confirmed his death. Mladic was serving a life sentence after the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found him guilty in 2017.
Key Facts
- Mladic died on August 27, 2026, at the age of 84 in a UN prison hospital in The Hague, Netherlands.
- He was convicted in 2017 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
- The ICTY found him guilty of ordering the massacre of more than 7,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995; the number of identified victims has since risen to more than 8,000.
- Mladic was also held responsible for the siege of Sarajevo, which killed 4,548 Bosnian soldiers and 4,954 civilians, according to the ICTY.
- After 15 years as a fugitive, Mladic was arrested in Serbia on May 26, 2011, and transferred to The Hague.
Death and Confirmation
Serbian state broadcaster RTS and official Bosnian Serb television reported Mladic's death on August 27. A UN official confirmed the death to Reuters, and a family member told the Associated Press that Mladic's son, Darko Mladic, was traveling to The Hague. Mladic died in a UN prison hospital in The Hague after suffering several strokes, according to RTS. He was 84 years old at the time of his death.
Conviction and Crimes
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Mladic in 2017 on one count of genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity, and four counts of war crimes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, including the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo. The ICTY found that Mladic ordered the killing of more than 7,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995, a figure that has since risen to more than 8,000 identified victims. The tribunal also held him responsible for the siege of Sarajevo, which killed 4,548 Bosnian soldiers and 4,954 civilians and wounded an estimated 50,000 people. Mladic's appeal was rejected in 2021 by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, leaving his life sentence in force.
Fugitive Years and Arrest
Mladic evaded international justice for approximately 15 years after the Bosnian War. He was arrested by Serbian authorities on May 26, 2011, and transferred to The Hague for trial. His trial began on May 16, 2012, on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws of war. Mladic was known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia' for his role in the atrocities, a nickname used by victims and international media.
11 sources
Ratko Mladic, convicted of Srebrenica genocide, dies at 84 in The Hague
