Timeline: Life of Ratko Mladic, general turned ‘Butcher of Bosnia’

Ratko Mladic, a warfare transgression convicted for his relation successful orchestrating the Srebrenica Genocide successful 1995 – the archetypal genocide connected European ungraded since the 2nd satellite warfare – died successful situation successful The Hague astatine the property of 84.

⁠He had been serving a beingness condemnation for ‌genocide, warfare crimes and crimes against humanity – crimes whose “seriousness” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres restated aft his death connected Thursday.

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“The Secretary-General stands successful solidarity with the victims, survivors and ⁠their families who suffered the crimes for which Mr Mladic was recovered blameworthy … [and] reiterates his telephone connected each ‌those successful presumption of powerfulness to refrain from denying the seriousness of the crimes that person been adjudicated,” Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said successful a statement.

On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused the UN warfare crimes tribunal of “uncivilised behaviour” for not allowing Mladic aboriginal release, which would person seen him dice successful Serbia. Earlier this year, Belgrade requested helium beryllium allowed to person aesculapian attraction extracurricular prison, saying his wellness information was “serious”.

Known arsenic the “Butcher of Bosnia”, Mladic was 1 of the astir notorious subject commanders of the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia. Under his command, Bosnian Serb forces seized Srebrenica, adjacent the Serbian border, successful July 1995, contempt the UN declaring the municipality a “safe area”. In the pursuing days, the forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys.

Here is simply a timeline of the large events of Mladic’s life, starring up to his decease successful detention this week:

1942-1966: Birth and idiosyncratic life

Ratko Mladic, a Bosnian Serb, was calved successful March 1942 successful the colony of Bozanovici successful the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (in today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina). His begetter was a subordinate of a communist-led absorption to the Axis powers successful World War II.

In 1966, Mladic joined Bosiljka Jedic and aboriginal had 2 children, Darko and Ana.

1965-1991: Military career

At the property of 22, Mladic joined the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and moved up the ranks. By 1991, helium was the caput of the Operational Teaching Department of the 9th Corps successful Knin (today’s Croatia) and aboriginal commanded the Headquarters of the 9th Corps Maritime Division.

1991-1992: Arrival successful Sarajevo

The Presidency of the Social Federative Republic of Yugoslavia promoted Mladic to the fertile of major-general successful 1991 and lieutenant–colonel wide successful April 1992. He commanded the office of the JNA’s Second Military Area Command successful Sarajevo.

1992-1995: Siege of Sarajevo

The Bosnian Serb army, led by Mladic, laid siege to the superior metropolis of Sarajevo.

The longest subject siege of a superior metropolis successful modern history, it lasted 1,460 days, sidesplitting much than 11,500 people. An estimated 480,000 to 500,000 missiles were fired connected the city.

July 1995: Srebrenica Genocide

In July 1995, Mladic’s troops captured Srebrenica and Zepa, enclaves nether the extortion of the United Nations. In what was aboriginal termed a genocide, 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed, and betwixt 25,000 and 30,000 were expelled from the area.

A antheral walks past a graffiti depicting General Ratko Mladic, who was convicted of genocide, warfare crimes, and crimes against humanity, successful Belgrade, Serbia [Andrej Cukic/EPA]

July and November 1995: Genocide indictment

Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, governmental person of the Bosnian Serbs, were indicted earlier the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for warfare crimes committed during the warfare successful Bosnia and Herzegovina. This included the killings astatine Srebrenica, on with the wide expulsion of Bosniak civilians.

Mladic was charged with 20 offences, including genocide. In 1996, the ICTY issued an planetary apprehension warrant for Mladic and Karadzic.

1997-2011: Life connected the run

Mladic remained successful hiding aft the ICTY indictment, moving to antithetic locations successful Serbia.

War crimes prosecutors and media investigations continued to way Mladic’s question based connected rumours, witnesser interviews, intelligence, and tribunal documents.

In 2001, helium reportedly moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier going backmost to Serbia.

2011-2016: Arrest and trial

On May 26, 2011, Mladic was arrested successful Lazarevo, bluish Serbia, astatine his cousin’s house. He was taken into custody successful Belgrade and past transferred to The Hague to beryllium prosecuted by the ICTY.

The proceedings commenced successful June 2011, and closing arguments were delivered successful December 2016. Mladic refused a plea deal.

November 2017: Final verdict

Mladic was sentenced to beingness imprisonment successful 2017 implicit the Srebrenica genocide, warfare crimes, and crimes against humanity.

June 2025: Release entreaty denied

In precocious 2022, Mladic was hospitalised successful “poor health”, his household said astatine the time.

In June 2025, Mladic had filed a petition to beryllium freed, saying helium lone had a fewer months to live. His petition was denied.

August 27, 2026: Mladic dies

Mladic died portion hospitalised successful The Hague, aft spending astir 15 years successful custody and detention implicit warfare crimes successful Bosnia.