The Serbian Ministry of Justice is requesting that Ratko Mladić be transferred to a Belgrade hospital for palliative care, citing his deteriorating health.

Serbia’s Minister of Justice, Nenad Vujić, announced that the government is continuing to advocate for the medical transfer of Ratko Mladić from The Hague to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. Mladić, the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, is currently serving a life sentence for genocide. The Ministry stated that it is not seeking his release to his home, but rather a transfer for palliative medical treatment.

Medical Grounds for Transfer

Minister Vujić cited medical findings from the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which indicate that Mladić is in the final stages of his life. According to the Ministry, the Mechanism’s own reports suggest that further treatment options are limited and that current care is primarily palliative. Vujić noted that while the Mechanism has allowed for increased family visitation, he argues this does not replace the need for Mladić to spend his final days in a hospital setting in Serbia.

Conditions and Legal Context

The Serbian government has expressed readiness to accept strict conditions for the transfer, including medical supervision, reporting requirements, and movement restrictions. Vujić highlighted that two of the five judges involved in the decision supported the request for release on humanitarian grounds. Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.