Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic, serving a life sentence in The Hague, reportedly suffered a minor stroke and is in declining health, his son told Bosnian Serb public television on April 15.
Mladic was sentenced by a U.N. tribunal to life imprisonment in 2017 over genocide and war crimes during Bosnia's 1990s war.
Bosnian Serb wartime military commander, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," was found guilty notably for his role in the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys, deemed genocide by international justice.
On April 15, his son Darko Mladic told RTRS television that he had received initial information on his father's health on April 10, when contacted by an U.N.-authorized doctor.
"She briefly explained that they believe it was a silent [minor] stroke, that he had been taken to a civilian hospital, and returned [to prison] after scans and examinations," he said.
According to Darko Mladic, his father condition is worsening on daily basis.
"The situation is very serious."
The family hopes that Mladic, aged 83 according to U.N. court documents, might be allowed to receive treatment in Serbia, his son added.
Mladic was arrested in Serbia in 2011 after 16 years on the run.
His son often speaks to Serbian media about the poor health of his father who is still revered as a hero by many Serbs.
