General Ratko Mladic, also known as “Butcher of Bosnia,” is appearing at the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia where Radovan Karadžić, his commander in chief, is also on trial. Mladic was subpoenaed to testify in Karadžić’s trial. Karadžić was arrested in July of 2008 and Mladic was arrested in May of 2011.
Both Mladic and Karadžić are said to be responsible for the terror campaign to rid multi-ethnic Bosnia of Croatians and Muslims in order to create a “Greater Serbia” from the spring of 1992 to 1995. Despite being subpoenaed by the court, Mladic refused to testify at the trial of his commander Karadžić. “I do not want to testify and refuse to testify for reasons of my health and that it would prejudice my own case,” Mladic told the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Despite being on trial for many human rights violations, Ratko Mladic continued to show his disdain for non-Serbians. He taunted victims and survivors even in court as he made a slow and deliberate gesture aiming at “the bereaved mother in the public gallery – two fingers pressed together and drawn in a cutting motion across his throat.” “It was in this way that Ratko Mladic – the man known as the “Butcher of Bosnia” and who many believe responsible for the first genocide on Europe’s soil since the Holocaust – addressed one of those who had come to see him face justice.”
Radovan Karadžić and all his subordinates including Ratko Mladic must be held accountable for all of the egregious human rights violations they participated in. The victims, the survivors, and the world at large deserve justice, and hopefully the Trial Court of the ICTY will give them what they deserve. Do you think that Ratko Mladic should be able to not testify to the trial of Radovan Karadžić? What do you think about how Mladic reacted in Court?
Sources: ICTY.org, LexisNexis.com, LexisNexis.com
Picture Source: BosniaGenocide.wordpress.com
I am not surprised with how Mladic acted in Court. He is a thug and a bully to say the very least. He obviously has a blind hate and ignorance for non-Serbian people and his taunting is a show of insecurity and a grasping of straws to try gain some power. This is a guy who needs to be put in his place and the only way to do that is to make sure that the Court brings justice for the victims and survivors of this horrible atrocity.
As for him not testifying at the Karadžić trial, under U.S. law I would say it is allowed so he would not implicate himself in any wrong doing, making the case for the prosecutors in his trial. I also would think he would hide behind this to not turn on his literal partner in crime. However, I speculate that Karadžić will be found guilty for his actions in this atrocity and since he was Mladic’s commander, that would show Mladic is also guilty. Thus, the dominoes of justice will fall in favor of the victims and survivors, putting his foolish antics to rest.
Mladic and Karadzic are this age’s Hitlers and for that reason they deserve every bit of punishment that comes their way. These two must be served with the appropriate level of punishment to serve as some kind of justice to the families and loved ones who have lost someone as a result of their evil actions. In regards to him not testifying at trial, I feel that is a personal right and choice, that no matter the person and their crimes, should remain promised to that person so as to maintain a level of justice in the international criminal court system. These two men killed innocent people merely because of their religious or national background and due to the level of this grievance I do not see him not testifying at trial to affect the outcome of the trial. Both of these borderline satanic leaders will get the punishment they deserve and I hope the punishments handed out will serve as deterrents for people in the future that will be in a level of power that could be taken advantage of.