The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals has sentenced war criminal Ratko Mladić, and the Mothers of Srebrenica followed the sentencing of the Srebrenica executioner. The Bosnian community in Great Britain also followed the sentencing.
The former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska has had his first-instance verdict from 2017 for genocide and other crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 effectively confirmed.
Mladić was found guilty by a final verdict on ten counts of the indictment – for participation in the genocide in Srebrenica, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, forcible transfer and terrorizing the population, unlawful attacks on civilians and taking hostages.
President of the BH UK Network, Zaim Pašić, stated: “After a long time since the commission of genocide and crimes against Muslims – Bosniaks and Croats in BiH, the main actors of these events have been convicted, which should lead to the acceptance of the facts that unfortunately stopped the lives of innocent citizens as well as the plans of families to have a normal life.
Everything that happened in World War II: the Holocaust and Jasenovac… has not been forgotten, and genocide occurred in BiH by the RS army and the then leadership, which failed to democratically transition from one system to another.
The decision of the Hague Tribunal to sentence Ratko Mladić to life imprisonment may be a satisfaction to the families of those killed and to the victims of the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, if these decisions are not accepted by all, then lasting coexistence will not be achieved and there will always be those who will create their own history and deny the facts. In the hope that genocide will never happen again anywhere in the world, we welcome the decisions of the Hague Tribunal, once again express our sincere condolences to the victims of the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina and call for talks about peace and coexistence, and for Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a modern democratic community of all citizens living in it as soon as possible.”
Mujo Delić, a member of our community in the UK who survived the Srebrenica genocide, spoke out about the sentence handed down to General Ratko Mladić. “No one can bring back our families and friends who are victims of genocide, but for us survivors this verdict still gives us some joy that the man most responsible for the genocide will spend the rest of his life in prison. This is also a very important verdict in the context of history, as the entire international community has recognized the extent of the Srebrenica genocide, which will remain inscribed so that younger generations will never forget it. “
His daughter , Lejla Delić, a second generation genocide survivor , said: “I watched the verdict that means the most to us Bosniaks – the verdict against war criminal Ratko Mladić. The verdict has given my father, the martyrs and the families who lost their loved ones, at least a shred of satisfaction and justice. Finally, a criminal has been convicted, to the end of his life within the cold walls of prison! This verdict is important to reaffirm what happened in Srebrenica, important for us, future generations.”
In the Srebrenica genocide, more than 8,000 Bosniaks were killed, mostly young men, including boys. Around 40,000 women, children and the elderly were deported.
The Mladić verdict lists Radovan Karadžić, Radislav Krstić, Vujadin Popović, Zdravko Tolimir, Ljubomir Borovčanin, Svetozar Kosorić, Radivoje Miletić, Radoslav Janković, Ljubiša Beara, Milenko Živanović, Vinko Pandurević and Vidoje Blagojević as members of that JCE. The crimes were committed by units of the VRS Drina Corps or the Main Staff.
BH UK Network
