Ex Bosnian Serb leader Ratko Mladic awaits verdict of war crimes trial

Ex Bosnian Serb leader Ratko Mladic awaits verdict of war crimes trial
By Chris Pilcher
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copy to clipboardCopied

UN judges will decide next week the fate of the Bosnian Serb general, who's charged with war crimes in Bosnia during the 1990s.

ADVERTISEMENT

He may be one of the highest profile war crime suspects in modern European history. But to his family, Ratko Mladic “is a hero”.

The former Bosnian Serb General is on trial for ordering heavy artillery over civilians in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. He’s also being accused of organising the massacre of more than 8,000 men and boys.

The Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995 killed more than a hundred thousand people.

But Mladic is remembered by some parts of Bosnia as the defender of a nation.

After being on the run for a decade and a half, Mladic was finally captured in 2011 and has been on trial ever since.

His family are concerned a conviction next week from UN judges in the Hague would mean he’ll be remembered as a war criminal.

But for most Bosnians, the verdict will finally end a dark chapter in their recent history.

Mladic’s Family: “He’s still a hero”

Mile Mladic (Uncle of Ratko Mladic): “He is a hero. He was leading his army. He never removed a hair from anyone’s head. He never stepped on an ant. He was honourably leading his Serb army.”

Darko Mladic (Son of Ratko Mladic): “That time of the arrest was a really hard time for us. For me, it was one of the hardest moments, maybe after the death of my sister. He was treated like a man stripped of all legal rights. Everything that he was entitled to, in the means of his defence, was denied. Serbia, led by president Boris Tadic, denied him everything.”

Dusko Mladic (Son of Ratko Mladic): “He is a saint. For all of us here in these villages.”

By Chris Pilcher

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Separatist Bosnian Serb leader vows to tear the country apart despite US warnings

Israel-Hamas war: A glimpse inside the endless exile of Bosnian-Palestinians

'They have tricked us': Protests erupt in Bosnia over 'discrimination' by peace envoy