UN judges uphold conviction of Serb military chief Ratko Mladic

United Nations judges on Tuesday upheld a conviction on Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic for war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims during the 1992-1995 war in the former Yugoslavia.

The 79-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison on multiple charges including genocide and crimes against humanity following the decision by the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, The Associated Press reported.

The White House hailed the decision in a statement from President Biden.

“Almost twenty-six years ago, Ratko Mladic ordered the summary execution of some 8,000 unarmed men and boys in Srebrenica. He also led the brutal years-long siege of Sarajevo and was responsible for many other crimes,” Biden said in the statement.

“My thoughts today are with all the surviving families of the many victims of Mladic’s atrocities. We can never erase the tragedy of their deaths, but I hope today’s judgment provides some solace to all those who are grieving,” the statement added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also commended the decision Tuesday.

“Despite efforts of perpetrators to silence witnesses, keep evidence of their crimes buried, and evade warrants of arrest, justice has prevailed in this case. We commend the courage and resilience of survivors and their loved ones who have continued to fight for the official acknowledgment of these crimes,” Blinken said.

Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the former commander’s appeal was dismissed “in its entirety.”

Mladic was one of the most notorious figures in the Bosnian war of the 1990s that left millions homeless and more than 100,000 people dead.

 Updated at 1:13 p.m.