Ratko Mladić, 'Butcher of Bosnia' Convicted of Genocide, Dies in Prison

Ratko Mladić, the Serbian general infamously known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia,' has died in prison in The Hague at the age of 84. His death was confirmed by a UN official and his lawyer. Mladić was serving a life sentence for his role in orchestrating genocide and war crimes during the Bosnian War.

As one of the main architects of the policy of ethnic cleansing, Mladić was convicted of genocide for his command during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. This event saw the killing of at least 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the UN-designated "safe area," marking the worst atrocity in Europe since the Second World War.

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I do not recognise this court.

Mladić's military actions also included overseeing the brutal siege of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, which lasted over three years. During this period, the city endured daily artillery, tank, and sniper fire, resulting in 10,000 deaths. The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) determined that Mladić, along with Slobodan Milošević and Radovan Karadžić, was part of a criminal conspiracy to forcibly expel non-Serbs from Bosnian land to create a greater Serbia.

Throughout his trial and sentencing, Mladić maintained his defiance, famously stating, "I do not recognise this court," and shouting "This is all lies, you are all liars!" upon his sentencing. He was arrested in Serbia in 2011, having evaded capture for 16 years, and was subsequently sentenced by the UN tribunal in 2017.

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This is all lies, you are all liars!