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[INTERNATIONAL] · Bosnia & Herzegovina, Netherlands, Serbia, United Kingdom · 19 sources

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Ratko Mladić: IRCT rejects humanitarian release request

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRCT) has rejected a request for the conditional release of Ratko Mladić on humanitarian grounds. Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the Mechanism, ruled that the expectation of imminent death does not automatically constitute grounds for early release. The court noted that Mladić is currently receiving comprehensive palliative medical care in the detention hospital, which preserves his health and dignity. The decision also highlighted that Mladić did not claim he would receive superior medical care in Serbia compared to his current treatment in the Netherlands.

The ruling was not unanimous. Judges Alfons Ori and Priska Matimba Njambe supported the release, arguing that the proximity of death is a decisive humanitarian reason for allowing a prisoner to spend their final hours in a family environment.

In response, the Serbian government has expressed regret over the decision. Serbian Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić emphasized that Mladić is in the final stages of life and argued that human dignity requires more than just medical care in a detention facility. The Serbian government is not seeking a full release to his home, but rather the transfer of the 84-year-old to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade to ensure he can spend his remaining days in closer proximity to his family.

Entities

Graciela Gatti Santana · Graciela Gautama Santana · International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals · Nenad Vujić · Ratko Mladić · Savo Minić · The Hague

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about 21 hours ago