President Joe Biden on Tuesday praised the United Nations for affirming former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic's conviction for war crimes committed in Srebrenica over two decades ago
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) President Joe Biden on Tuesday praised the United Nations for affirming former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic's conviction for war crimes committed in Srebrenica over two decades ago.
"Almost twenty-six years ago, Ratko Mladic ordered the summary execution of some 8,000 unarmed men and boys in Srebrenica," Biden said in a statement. "Today, the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague affirmed his conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. This historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable."
Biden said he hopes leaders in the Balkans region will respect the conviction and reinforce its importance for the rule of law.
Mladic served as the commander of the army of Republika Srpska during the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was arrested by the Serbian authorities in 2011 after fleeing international justice for 16 years. In November 2017, the UN Criminal Tribunal in The Hague convicted Mladic of war crimes that date back to the 1992-1995 conflict, including for his role in the Srebrenica massacre, which saw many Bosnian Muslims killed. Mladic was sentenced to life in prison.
In August 2018, Mladic's lawyers filed a complaint against the life sentence with the appeals chamber, and the first appeal hearings were held two years later. Mladic's lawyers and family repeatedly emphasized that the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia does not provide them with information on the health condition of the general, while doctors in the remand center in The Hague do not provide proper treatment.
