The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) has rejected the request for early release submitted by Stanislav Galic, the former commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). Galic was convicted for terrorizing Sarajevo residents during the city’s siege.

The MICT dismissed Galic’s application on December 4, 2024. Currently serving a life sentence in Germany, Galic became eligible under German law to seek conditional suspension of the remainder of his sentence. However, the MICT has repeatedly denied his requests for release, citing the severity of his crimes.

The tribunal noted that all individuals serving sentences under its supervision are eligible for consideration of early release after completing two-thirds of their sentence. However, this threshold, described as a “prerequisite for eligibility,” does not automatically grant the right to early release. Considering all case-specific circumstances, the tribunal president has sole discretion to decide on such matters.

In his latest appeal, Galic argued mitigating factors, including his exemplary behaviour in prison, his cooperation with the MICT’s Office of the Prosecutor as a witness in the case against Radovan Karadzic, and his advanced age, which raises doubts about his ability to complete the required portion of his sentence.

Despite these claims, the MICT highlighted that Galic had made similar arguments in previous applications, all of which were denied.
MICT President Graciela Gatti Santana, after consulting with Judge Florence Arrey and Judge Alphons Orie—who presided over Galic’s original trial—issued the final decision:

“Considering the judges’ agreement that the request is unfounded and should be denied, I conclude that Galic’s arguments are unconvincing and that no exceptional circumstances justify early release before completing two-thirds of the sentence.”

Galic was convicted in 2006 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for orchestrating artillery and sniper attacks against Sarajevo’s civilian population during the siege. The court described these crimes as “exceptionally brutal and cruel.”

In previous denials of Galic’s requests, the MICT emphasized the importance of adhering to the two-thirds threshold, given the gravity of his actions. The tribunal specifically highlighted evidence of intentional targeting of civilians, describing it as a “deliberate campaign of shelling and sniping against innocent residents.”