Overview
- The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals confirmed Ratko Mladić died in a UN detention hospital in The Hague on Thursday, August 27, 2026, and a judge has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
- Mladić was serving a life sentence after a 2017 UN tribunal conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
- His lawyers and family said he suffered multiple strokes and sought humanitarian transfer to Serbia; the IRMCT recently denied that request, and he was reported to have been in palliative care before his death.
- Serbian officials have announced plans for a state and military burial in Serbia, prompting public glorification in parts of Serbia and Republika Srpska and a UEFA disciplinary probe after Red Star Belgrade fans displayed banners.
- Victims’ groups and Bosnian authorities expressed relief and called for continued remembrance and justice, while analysts warn the death could inflame memory politics, diplomatic friction with international bodies, and nationalist mobilization in the region.