Ratko Mladic ‘Butcher Of Bosnia’ Jailed For Life Over War Crimes And Genocide

Mladic and the Bosnian Serb army he commanded attacked and destroyed towns and villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and July 1995. He is blamed for thousands of deaths and the systematic forced exile and rapes of the non-Serb population during the war. He is also held responsible for the three-year siege and bombardment of Sarajevo. And lastly for the preparation and carrying out of the genocide of Srebrenica.

Mladić has been convicted by the ICTY of being responsible for the Siege of Sarajevo (5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996) and the Srebrenica massacre. He was arrested in a Belgrade suburb after a decade on the run, officials said at a news conference.

He grew long, and a white beard to conceal his identity. This allowed him to move freely while living in a new part of Belgrade and working at a private clinic.

Serbian security services found Karadzic while looking for another top war crimes suspect, Gen. Ratko Mladic, Ljajic said.

"He was arrested Monday evening near Belgrade while changing locations," he said.

The arrest was described by former EU High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown as an "extremely important piece of justice for the world at large". He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by The Hague.

He has often been referred to by Western media as the Butcher of Bosnia. In July 1996 the Serbian and United States governments offered €5 million for information leading to Mladić's capture and arrest.

As he entered the courtroom, Mladić gave a broad smile and thumbs up to the cameras – a gesture that infuriated relatives of the victims. His crimes "rank among the most heinous known to humankind," the judge told the International Criminal Tribunal.

Mladic denies the allegations. He said he was defending his people, was not in court to hear his fate. He was forcibly removed by two guards after shouting in the direction of Judge Orie.

"It's a lie. Everything you said in this courtroom is a lie," he said.

Mladic was not in court when the sentence was read out. About 100,000 people were killed and 2.2 million displaced in the ethnic rivalries which tore apart Yugoslavia, with judges saying "ruthless" Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic's command carried out "mass executions" and showed "little or no respect for human life or dignity."

Victims and their relatives watched the verdict in a memorial center near Srebrenica and erupted in cheers as it was read out. The group Mothers of Srebrenica said it was partially satisfied, and some relatives said Mladic deserved a harsher sentence.

The New York-based Physicians for Human Rights, which sent teams to exhume mass graves across the former Yugoslavia and supply crucial evidence to the tribunal, also cheered the decision.