Convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Mladić dies aged 84

Key Points:

• Ratko Mladić, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," died in a UN detention facility hospital while receiving palliative care; he was serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
• Mladić was captured in Serbia in 2011 after 16 years on the run and was tried in the Netherlands, with his conviction upheld on appeal in 2021; the UN court has launched a full inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.
• During the Bosnian war, Mladić's forces were responsible for ethnic cleansing, the siege of Sarajevo resulting in over 10,000 deaths, and the massacre of 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica.
• Survivors like Hasan Hasanović expressed that Mladić’s death does not provide closure, emphasizing ongoing political and social divisions and denial of the genocide in Bosnia.
• In contrast, some Bosnian Serb leaders and supporters, including Milorad Dodik, view Mladić as a defender of the Serbian people during the conflict.