Ratko Mladic – “Butcher of Bosnia”

Mar 12,1942: Born at Kalinovik in eastern Bosnia

1944: Father, Nedja Mladic, killed by Ustasha – Croatia’s World War II fascist regime

1992: Bosnia and Herzegovina declares independence from Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs, led by Radovan Karadzic (below), secure control of ethnic Serb territory. War soon spreads, accompanied by ethnic cleansing

May 1992: General Mladic (far right) is made commander of Bosnian Serb forces. He is alleged architect of 43-month siege of Bosnian capital Sarajevo, which claims estimated 10,000 lives

Mar 1994: Mladic’s daughter Ana commits suicide in Belgrade at age 23, reportedly after learning of atrocities committed by her father’s troops

Jul 2, 1995: Under orders of Karadzic, Mladic’s troops attack UN-protected “safe area” of Srebrenica, enclave of 40,000 Muslims

Jul 12-20: Massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys is worst mass murder in Europe since Nazi era

Jul 25: UN war crimes tribunal* indicts Mladic for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity

1997: Bosnian Serb government sacks Mladic

1997-2011: Mladic eludes NATO attempts to arrest him – he is finally detained in 2011

May 16, 2012: War crimes trial begins. Mladic denies all charges against him

Nov 22, 2017: Ratko Mladic found guilty of 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity, extermination and murder. Sentence to life imprisonment 

Ethnic Serb territory
Srebrenica
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
50 miles 80km
CROATIA
SERBIA
Sarajevo
MONTENEGRO

*International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia 
Pictures: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS