The Hague: a brilliant coup by Ratko Mladic for the last day of his appeal trial

Ratko Mladic, at the announcement of the verdict of his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, November 22, 2017. ICTY / Handout via REUTERS

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3 min

This August 26 was the last day of Ratko Mladic's appeal trial in The Hague. The former general, nicknamed "the butcher of Bosnia, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, during the conflict in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995. His defense ensures that" he was very far from Srebrenica at the time of the events. Ratko Mladic spoke at the very end of the hearing.

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With our correspondent in Brussels, Laxmi Lotta

“  I would like to say something on behalf of the Serbian people  ”. This is how Ratko Mladic began his remarks which were to last according to the former general, 30 minutes. But the court reminded him that he only had ten. Ratko Mladic then pointed to the prosecutor, designating her as "  that blonde woman , to call her that, who for two days spoke about me using snake, devilish language .  "

" I am an ordinary man  "

Ratko Mladic challenged the court, claiming to be the child of the Western powers. The accused explained that he was a professional soldier and that he could not be sentenced. “  Dear lady ,” he said, “ I am not a saint, I am an ordinary man. That's what I said during the war. My destiny led me to defend my state  ”.

As the judge told him that his speaking time was up, the former Serbian general said: “  I am alive and well! Your accusation has fallen through  ! During this appeal trial, the 78-year-old man was seen re-styling himself often. He never acknowledged his responsibility for the crimes committed . The court's decision is announced for next spring.

In 2017, the one who had been nicknamed "the butcher of Srebrenica" had been convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, in particular for the very long siege of Sarajevo, forty-four months - 1,425 days - during which more than 5,000 civilian victims died under the bombs, presumably largely from the Serbian forces surrounding the city.

Above all, Ratko Mladcć was convicted of genocide, the massacre of Srebrenica in the summer of 1995, where more than 7,000 Muslim men were killed after the fall of the enclave and its capture by Serbian forces. With his political alter ego Radovan Karadzic already sentenced in 2016 to 40 years in prison for the same massacre in Srebrenica, he is considered to be an “  architect of the policy of ethnic cleansing  ” of part of Bosnia, according to prosecutor Serge Brammertz of the International Criminal Court.

► To read also: The Hague: opening of the appeal trial of Ratko Mladic, the "butcher of the Balkans"

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  • Justice
  • International justice
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  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

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