Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ratko Mladić, 'Butcher of Bosnia,' Dies at 84

Was Mladić a Serbian hero and symbol of resistance or a war criminal who orchestrated the Srebrenica genocide?

Published AUG 28

Ratko Mladić, 'Butcher of Bosnia,' Dies at 84

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Above: Ratko Mladić makes his first appearance at the International Criminal Tribunal on June 3, 2011. Image credit: Serge Ligtenberg/Getty Images

The Facts

Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb general known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," died while hospitalized in The Hague. The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals confirmed his death on Thursday and said Judge Graciela Gatti Santana had ordered "a full inquiry into the circumstances" of his passing.
The Guardian
Al Jazeera
Mladić, who was 84, had suffered several strokes in recent months. His lawyers filed a request for early release on humanitarian grounds just days before his death, citing a U.N. detention unit doctor's assessment that his condition had rapidly declined and that his death "may occur at any time." The request was denied.
CNN
Daily Mail
Mladić was convicted in 2017 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Presiding judge Alphons Orie said his crimes ranked "among the most heinous known to humankind." An appeal was dismissed in 2021.
The Telegraph
The New York Times
The 1992-1995 Bosnian War, during which Mladić commanded Bosnian Serb forces, left around 100,000 people dead and more than 2 million displaced. The ICTY determined the campaign's goal was "ethnic cleansing" — the forcible expulsion of Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Croats and other non-Serbs to clear land for a Greater Serbia.
Al Jazeera
New York Post
Mladić oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, the longest in the history of modern warfare, during which artillery, tank and sniper fire killed 10,000 people, including 1,500 children. He also directed the July 1995 attack on the U.N.-designated safe area of Srebrenica, where more than 7,000 Bosniaks, mostly men and boys, were killed and buried in mass graves.
CNN
The New York Times
Mladić evaded capture for 15 years after his 1995 indictment before being arrested in May 2011 at a relative's home in northern Serbia. He repeatedly denied the charges against him and reportedly said, "I do not recognize this court," at an ICTY hearing in 2014. Serbia’s Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić said on Friday that Mladić would be buried with the "highest military and state honors."
The Telegraph
Al Jazeera
CNN

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The Spin

Narrative A

Mladić was a symbol of courage and resistance for the Serbian people, a commander who bore the weight of history during the most difficult moments. His legacy reflects determination and sacrifice for the survival of the Republic of Srpska. The Serbian people owe a debt of remembrance to a man who stood before them when it mattered most.

RTRS vijesti

Staša Košarac on X

Narrative B

Mladić was a war criminal who ordered the slaughter of Bosnians at Srebrenica, a genocide carried out with chilling precision. Celebrating him as a hero whitewashes mass murder and dishonors every victim buried in that cemetery outside Srebrenica. No amount of nationalist mythology changes what he did.

The Telegraph

Narrative C

For families who lost loved ones in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo, the death of Mladić offers little relief from decades of grief. For many, the pain remains. Yet justice matters most: the most important thing is that he was held accountable for his crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on X