Serbia's bid to free Mladić rejected days before his death in custody

Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys, died in detention in The Hague at 84. Serbia had pressed for his release on health grounds, warning on 24 August 2026 he could die at any time. The UN said he was receiving adequate care. He died serving his life sentence.