UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals: Request for release of Radivoje Miletic rejected again by The Hague.

UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals: Request for release of Radivoje Miletic rejected again by The Hague.
Photo of IRMCT Buildings by UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals on flickr.com

05-07-2022

Grace ATALUI MOKANGO

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The Balkan Insight reported on 30 June 2022 that The Hague-based court denied a request for early release from Bosnian Serb general Radivoje Miletic, who is serving an 18-year sentence for committing crimes against humanity in Srebrenica in 1995.

Radivoje Miletic, the wartime head of the operations and training of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Main Headquarters, was convicted of crimes against humanity in 2015 in The Hague for his central role in a plan to kill or expel all Bosniaks from the Srebrenica and Zepa areas in 1995, and that he used his position to ensure the implementation of this plan. His application for early release expressed his "regrets and compassion for the victims and their families". In addition, he admits the seriousness of his crimes. He argues that his behaviour shows full rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Radivoje Miletic is currently in jail in Finland. Having served two-thirds of his sentence, he is eligible for early release. However, the outgoing President of the Tribunal, Carmel Agius, stated on 24 June that Miletic's arguments did not convince him. Judge Agius explained that he had considered the high gravity of the crimes and that Miletic had failed to demonstrate sufficient signs of rehabilitation. 

Source and further reading

Lamija Grebo, Bosnian Serb General’s Plea for Release Denied Again by Hague Court, Balkan Insight, ( 30 June 2022), from: 

https://balkaninsight.com/2022/06/30/bosnian-serb-generals-plea-for-release-denied-again-by-hague-court/