Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, dies aged 84
Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander convicted of genocide, has died in prison in The Hague at age 84. Known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia,' he was serving a life sentence for his role in the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo.
Why it matters
Mladić's death marks the end of a chapter for one of the most significant war crimes trials in modern history, closing the case on a central figure of the Bosnian War.
Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić appearing in court in 2014. Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić appearing in court in 2014. Ratko Mladić Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, dies aged 84 Bosnian Serb commander responsible for Srebrenica massacre dies in prison while serving life sentence for genocide
Prefer the Guardian on Google Ratko Mladić, the infamous Serbian general who was serving a life sentence for genocide committed during the Bosnian war, has died in prison in the Hague, a UN official and his lawyer confirmed.
Mladić, 84, had been one of the main architects of the policy of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian war. He was convicted of genocide for orchestrating the 1995 killing of at least 8,000 Muslims in the UN-designated “safe area” Srebrenica , the worst massacre in Europe since the second world war.
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