ICTY Convicts Ratko Mladić for Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity (November 22, 2017) [1]
On November 22, 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Ratko Mladić, former Commander of the Main Staff of the Bosnian Serb Army, of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws or customs of war. The crimes concern acts committed by Serb forces during the 1992–1995 armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). According to the press release [3], “Mladić was convicted of genocide and persecution, extermination, murder, and the inhumane act of forcible transfer in the area of Srebrenica in 1995; of persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and inhumane act of forcible transfer in municipalities throughout BiH; of murder, terror and unlawful attacks on civilians in Sarajevo; and of hostage-taking of UN personnel.” The judgment summary [4] states that the Chamber considered the crimes committed to “rank among the most heinous known to humankind” and decided “that most of the factors raised in mitigation by the Defence carry little or no weight.” The Chamber sentenced Mladić to life imprisonment.