Mladic Appeals ICTY Denial of Temporary Release

23. May 2017.12:06
Former Bosnian Serb military leader, Ratko Mladic’s defence has appealed The Hague Tribunal decision not to grant him temporary release for medical treatment in Russia.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

In a submission to The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, from the defence team of Ratko Mladic, a request has been filed for him to be released “under any conditions that the Appeals Chamber considers as necessary.”

The defence pointed out that the rights of their client have been violated in the decision to reject his request for temporarily release to Russia.

“The defence considers that the Trial Chamber did not properly act and brought the wrong conclusions about the facts, which are unfair to the accused,” Mladic’s lawyers said in the appeal.

Among other things, the defence states that the Chamber did not explain its decision to reject their request.

In March, Mladic’s defence asked the court to release the “Butcher of Bosnia” for medical treatment in Russia, because otherwise “it might be too late”. After that, the ICTY prosecution responded that Mladic could escape if he is released and that his health condition is stable.

Mladic, as the former commander of Bosnian Serb Army, has been indicted for genocide in Srebrenica, the persecution of Muslims and Croats reaching the scale of genocide in six municipalities, for terrorising the population of Sarajevo with long-termshelling and sniper attacks and for taking United Nations Protection Force, UNPROFOR, members as hostages.

His trial began in 2012, and he has been in custody since May 2011.

The verdict in Mladic’s case is expected later this year.

Džana Brkanić


This post is also available in: Bosnian