Mladic makes defiant gestures at war crimes trial

Former military commander Radko Mladic appeared defiant at the start of his trial for war crimes at the Hague.

The Bosnian Serb general, who is accused of orchestrating the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, made a thumbs up sign at the beginning of proceedings. He also made a throat slitting gesture at a woman whose son, husband and brothers had been killed.

One woman was not intimidated by Mladic’s behaviour and said: “He wanted to send the message that he was a king. After that, he showed us that he is going to kill us, but I told him from the public gallery that no matter what, your hands are cuffed.”

At least 7,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed in Srebrenica in July 1995 during one week.

Mladic is on trial at the Hague after being arrested at his cousin’s farmhouse in Serbia last May.

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