APPEAL TO HAGUE MECHANISM REQUESTS TEMPORARY MEDICAL RELEASE FOR GENERAL MLADIĆ

BANJA LUKA, MAY 1 /SRNA/ – The Government of Republika Srpska has sent a humanitarian appeal to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in the Hague, requesting that it consider the possibility of temporarily releasing General Ratko Mladić to ensure adequate medical care, treatment or palliative care.

The appeal was addressed to the President of the Mechanism, Graciela Gatti Santana, with the Government expressing readiness to provide all necessary guarantees and conditions for treatment on the territory of Republika Srpska, as well as to act in accordance with all decisions and orders of the relevant international institutions. At a telephone session held today, the Government adopted inf ormation from the Ministry of Justice of Republika Srpska regarding General Mladić's health condition, the Government's Public Relations Bureau said in a statement. It was decided, based on humanitarian reasons and the principle of protecting human dignity, to address the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals with an appeal concerning Mladić's health. On April 23, General Mladić's legal team submitted a request to the Mechanism for his conditional release on humanitarian grounds, given his deteriorating health. General Ratko Mladić suffered a stroke on April 10, and his condition has further worsened, as he faces serious neurological, cardiovascular and nephrological issues. Since 2024, General Mladić has been held in the detention hospital in the Hague, where he is under palliative care due to his severe health condition. The Mechanism has repeatedly rejected requests for his temporary release for treatment in Serbia.