MLADIĆ DEFENSE FILES SUBMISSION TO HAGUE MECHANISM, DECISION ON HUMANITARIAN RELEASE EXPECTED SOON

BELGRADE, MAY 12 /SRNA/ - The defense of General Ratko Mladić today submitted a filing to the Hague Mechanism regarding the report of independent doctors on the general's health condition and an expectation has been expressed that a decision on his humanitarian release for treatment in Serbia will be made as soon as possible.

"We are awaiting the court's decision. There is no deadline, but I expect it will be made relatively soon. I cannot believe this can be dragged out too much", Mladić’s son Darko Mladić told SRNA. He said that prior to submitting the filing, the defense had not received a new medical report from the detention unit on his father's condition, which, he said, indicates that they agree with the expert medical findings and have nothing new to add. When asked whether the opinions of all doctors who have so far examined General Mladić are aligned, he said that unfortunately they are. "On the key issue around which everything revolves, unfortunately they are. That is, all three medical teams agree that he is at the end of life and that he has very little time left, and that is a situation requiring humanitarian release. Whether they used one methodology or another is less important at this point; what matters is that he receives the same treatment as others. In such situations, people have been released home", Mladić said. He stressed that the family and lawyers hope such a decision will also be made in his father's case and that no discrimination will be applied compared to other cases. He said he spoke briefly with his father today. "We spoke very briefly today, but he was unable to speak, just a couple of words", Darko Mladić said. Commenting on the statement by Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council in New York that, if the general's condition continues to deteriorate, the Mechanism itself would bear responsibility, Darko Mladić said that any support and understanding is meaningful. "There is no dilemma, any support matters, especially when it comes from Russia as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Security Council is the founder of the Mechanism, so they should take that into account", Darko Mladić said. General Ratko Mladić suffered a stroke on April 10, and his serious health condition has further deteriorated due to severe neurological, cardiovascular and nephrological problems. On May 2, he was transferred from the detention unit to a civilian hospital in the Hague due to suspected stroke. Since doctors did not confirm that he had suffered a stroke, he was returned to the detention hospital. Since 2024, General Mladić has been in the detention hospital in the Hague, where he is under palliative care. The Mechanism has repeatedly rejected requests for his temporary release for medical treatment in Serbia.