Although 22 years have passed since the end of the war, justice is finally done: Ratko Mladic, ex Commander of the Serbian army, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The ruling was issued today by the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”, was found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity including persecution and deportation of a countless number of men and women. “It’s the worst atrocity since the Second World War; it was an anticipated judgement” Nikolay Krastev, journalist at Bloomberg TV, expert in the Balkan region, told SIR. In her opinion Mladic, guilty of the death of over 8 thousand Muslims, “deserved life imprisonment.”
“A beast disguised in human features.” The relatives of the victims are only partially satisfied with the sentence. The known association “Mothers of Sbrenica”, whose members followed the reading of the verdict, stated that the judgement after so many years
is but “partial justice”
Mladic was found guilty of 10 on 11 charges; he was found not guilty of one charge in six districts in the Eastern and North-west area of Bosnia. According to Hatizda Mehmedovic, who chairs the association that brings together the mothers of 8 thousand Muslims slaughtered in Srebrenica, “in this respect there is major evidence of genocide of the non-Serbian population.” Mehmedovic described Mladic’s behaviour in the courtroom as that of a “beast disguised in human skin.”
No “mea culpa”. Minutes before the verdict, while the judge was reading the reasons for the decision, Mladic started shouting:”this is all lies!” He then insulted the judges and was removed from courtroom. Mladic had pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appeal.
“It’s very sad to see that after so many years he has no wish to do ‘mea culpa’”,
said the General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia-Erzegovina, Mons. Ivo Tomasevic. He added: “Also Mladic, like us all, one day will stand before the judgement seat of God … We regret his reaction today. We are called to atone for our sins and apologize for the evil committed unto others, partly making reparation for our wrongs.”
The past can return. The judgment marks the end of the final trial of the International Criminal Tribunal, whose mandate expires at the end of the year. “It can be said that the Tribunal did its job showing that the international community firmly believes that these heinous crimes must no go unpunished”, Krastev declared, adding that also political factors were taken into account. “Even though 70% of those found guilty are Serbs, the judges sought to balance their rulings, for past events risk reopening the wounds of the war.” In this respect, commenting the ruling, Serbian President Alexander Vucic said: “we must not suffocate in tears of the past”, “my appeal to the people of Serbia is to start looking into the future.”
But Vucic also pointed out that “while Serbia respects the victims of other peoples, I am not sure that the same approach was applied to Serbian victims.”
In fact, for many in the Srpska Republic, the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a Serb majority, Mladic is still considered a hero. That’s why Krastev believes that “the judgement will be received in different ways in Sarajevo, Belgrade and Zagreb.”
Helping refugees and displaced people. Many of those who suffered during the war are still waiting for justice. It is estimated that over 5 thousand cases of murder in Bosnia Herzegovina have not been considered in Court. They include war crimes and sexual violence; thousands were forced to abandon their homes and their lands … “There is need for an internal structure providing support to refugees and displaced people”, said Msgr. Tomasevic.
In this Country martyred by violence and war, the reconciliation process is deadlocked
And the grim legacy of the conflict weighs heavily on everyday life. That is why, for Msgr. Tomasevic “now it’s important to change all those aspects that hinder everyday life.”
Coming to terms with History. “In our Country we need an atmosphere where evil is called by its own name, for the purpose of reconciliation and not to cause new divisions.” However, this entails coming to terms with History. Mons. Tomasevic also mentioned the “Dayton agreement that divided the Country and ‘legalized’ many of the things done during the war.” He added:
“The Country is not well-organized and the consequences of those events drag on still today.”
In his opinion, “society must apply the same standard of judgement on all past events, to ensure unanimous understanding of war crimes. Only this can bring real justice and peace: a society where all ethnicities and peoples may feel at home and enjoy the same rights. Sadly this is not the case, for example, of the Croatians living in the territory of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
