Ratko Mladic, commander of the Bosnian Serb Army's General Staff, was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, for the crimes he committed, Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts, said following the appeal of the Prosecutor v. Ratko Mladic.

The Appeals Chamber dismissed the Defence's appeals and upheld the Trial Chamber's key findings.

Mladic was found guilty of commanding violent ethnic cleansing campaigns throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. He was further convicted of commanding a campaign of crimes against civilians during the siege of Sarajevo. He was also convicted of using forces under his command to commit genocide against the Bosnian Muslim population in Srebrenica. Finally, he was convicted of taking UN members hostage and using them as human shields.

“The time has come for us to accept the truth. Mladic ranks among the greatest war criminals in modern history. He deliberately used his position as military commander to attack innocent civilians, who were killed, tortured, raped and expelled for no reason other than his nationality and religion. He incited ethnic hatred and lied to those he allegedly defended in order to justify his crimes. At a time when he had the power of life or death over thousands of innocent men and boys in Srebrenica, he ordered their complete elimination and committed genocide,” Brammertz said in his address.

Mladic should be condemned by all responsible officials in the former Yugoslavia and around the world, he argued adding that his name should be included in the list of the most perverted and brutal personalities in history.
“This is not a verdict for the Serb people, who have been manipulated by Mladic and his supporters for decades.

Mladic's guilt is only his,” the Chief Prosecutor stressed.

He added that upon completion of this case, victims and survivors should be at the forefront.

“The appellate verdict reaffirms what they suffered. It also confirms the courage of the witnesses who testified and told the truth.

On behalf of the Prosecution, I would like to pay tribute to the victims and survivors who have never given up their quest for justice. We express our deep gratitude to them because without them we would not be able to do our job. We hope that today’s verdict will give them some measure of comfort and a sense that, regardless of all the damage they have suffered and how long they have waited, justice is possible,” Brammertz pointed out and thanked the diplomatic community and the media for their support.

“Finally, today's verdict should also remind us of the justice that has yet to be achieved. Thousands of war crimes suspects on all sides still need to be investigated and prosecuted throughout the former Yugoslavia. It is now the responsibility of domestic prosecutors and judges to continue this work, and the Prosecution has committed itself to provide them with full support. Together, we can ensure that all victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia are welcomed to see those who have done them injustice accountable for their crimes,” Brammertz concluded.