The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) has denied a request for early release by Dragomir Milosevic, the former commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of the Army of Republika Srpska. Milosevic was sentenced to 29 years in prison for orchestrating a brutal campaign of sniping and shelling that terrorized the civilian population of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.

Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the Mechanism, rejected Milosevic’s appeal, citing the severity of his crimes and a lack of genuine rehabilitation. In her decision, she referenced the original judgment, which described Milosevic's crimes as “extremely serious” and part of a 14-month campaign that left Sarajevo’s residents with little chance of safety or escape. The indiscriminate violence claimed numerous civilian lives and inflicted severe injuries.

Milosevic, who became eligible for early release in March 2024, submitted his request in October last year. While he acknowledged the nature of his crimes, accepted responsibility, and expressed regret for the harm caused, Judge Santana found his reflections to be superficial and lacking authenticity.

“Milosevic’s selective interpretation of his role and shallow expressions of remorse undermine his credibility in the rehabilitation process,” she stated, adding that she was unconvinced of his genuine acceptance of responsibility or empathy for the victims.

The IRMCT’s decision reinforced the principle that sentences for such grave crimes should typically be served in full, reflecting the severity of the offences.

The Hague tribunal has previously sentenced key figures of the Bosnian War to life imprisonment, including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, for crimes against humanity, and Stanislav Galic, another commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, for his role in terrorizing Sarajevo.

The 44-month siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from 1992 to 1995, resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 residents, including around 1,600 children. Despite the passage of more than three decades, no new indictments have been filed against individuals responsible for the artillery and sniper attacks that devastated the city.