UN Tribunal sets deadline for independent medical review of Ratko Mladic

The President’s order, reviewed by N1, instructs the Registrar to confidentially file expert opinions evaluating Mladic’s diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. The assessment must also address his estimated life expectancy and the adequacy of the care provided within the United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) in Scheveningen or a prison hospital.

This judicial move follows an emergency medical incident on 17 of April 2026, when Mladic was briefly transferred to a civilian hospital before being discharged in a stable condition. On 23 April, Mladic’s legal team filed a formal request for temporary or conditional release, citing an "advanced, irreversible medical deterioration" resulting from the incident. His petition included reports from two unnamed experts who visited him on 22 April, claiming his condition cannot be adequately managed within the current detention framework.

President Gatti Santana emphasized that additional independent expertise is necessary to verify these claims and assist in her ruling. Mladic is currently serving a life sentence following his conviction for genocide in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws and customs of war during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the delivery of his final verdict, he has remained in the Hague detention unit. The upcoming medical reports will serve as the primary basis for the Tribunal's decision on whether his health status warrants a departure from his life sentence on humanitarian grounds.