Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday accused a United Nations war crimes court of "uncivilized behavior" for refusing to grant an early release to former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died Thursday at age 84 while serving a life sentence for his crimes.
Mladic's family and the Serbian government had repeatedly requested his release, citing his age and deteriorating health. The U.N. tribunal rejected his latest request for release on humanitarian grounds just a week prior to his death.
"We can now see that they wanted Mladic to die behind bars," Vucic stated. "That was uncivilized behavior, unprecedented and without excuse."
The U.N. tribunal for war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s sentenced Mladic to life in prison in 2017. He had been in custody since 2011, and his conviction was considered a significant step toward justice for the victims of the conflict that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million displaced.
In an Aug. 20 ruling, the president of the U.N. court, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, cited the "comprehensive and compassionate medical care" Mladic received in custody, along with an "exceptional visitation regime allowing meaningful family contact," as reasons for denying the request.
Mladic, a notorious figure during the Bosnian War, was convicted for orchestrating atrocities including the Srebrenica massacre, where more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed, and the prolonged siege of Sarajevo. Despite his conviction, some Bosnian Serbs continue to view him as a hero.
Victims' families, however, expressed satisfaction that Mladic died in prison, viewing his conviction and incarceration until death as a form of justice. Fazila Efendic, who lost family members in the Srebrenica genocide, stated, "For us, it is important that he is convicted and that he served his sentence until he died."
The U.N. court has opened an inquiry into Mladic's death, and the judge overseeing it visited the detention center where he was held. The court stated that the relevant Dutch authorities are not opening a criminal investigation into his death and will not be performing an autopsy. The cause of death will not be released before the inquiry is completed.
Vucic also stated that Belgrade has no information regarding when Mladic's body would be released. He added that if the family wished for him to be buried in Serbia, the government would assist in a dignified burial. Earlier reports of a potential state funeral had drawn regional outrage.