Kremlin mourns 'Butcher of Bosniar' and sends condolences to his family
Photo: Ratko Mladić, the mastermind of the Srebrenica genocide (Getty Images)
Russia's Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Serbia have responded to the death of Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army who was infamously dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia." The Russian Foreign Ministry published a statement expressing condolences to his family, reports the ministry.
In the statement, the Russian diplomatic mission asserted that Mladić's case - "whatever the factual circumstances underlying it" - had been a flagrant manifestation of double standards and anti-Serb bias on the part of the tribunal.
"We extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Why Ratko Mladić was convicted
Ratko Mladić commanded the Bosnian Serb army during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found him guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws and customs of war, sentencing him to life imprisonment. In 2021, the Appeals Chamber upheld both the verdict and the sentence.
One of the key episodes in the case was the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995. After Bosnian Serb forces overran Srebrenica - which had been designated a UN safe area - more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims, predominantly men and boys, were killed. The tribunal qualified these events as genocide. In international media, Mladić was often referred to as the "Butcher of Bosnia."
Mladić was also held responsible for other grave crimes committed during the war. The court established his guilt in the persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, and forcible displacement of civilians, the terrorizing of the population in Sarajevo, and the taking of UN personnel as hostages.
Mladić's cynical reaction in court
Photo: Ratko Mladić demonstrating in court how he disposed of his victims (Screenshot)
During his trial in The Hague, Ratko Mladić behaved with contemptuous arrogance. At one point, while the mother of a Srebrenica massacre victim was testifying, he drew his hand across his own throat, mimicking a slashing motion.
Meanwhile, many nationalists in Serbia continue to hail Mladić as a hero. Neither they nor Russia recognise the tribunal's rulings.
News context
As previously reported, Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, died on 27 August in a UN detention facility in The Hague. He served just 15 years of his life sentence for his crimes, passing away at the age of 85.
