Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Ratko Mladić the 69 year old former Bosnian Serb military leader who had been finally arrested under a 1995 indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) for genocide in the former Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War and transferred to the Hague for trial, has claimed he is unfit due to health issues to proceed with the trial. Mladić had lived as a fugitive for sixteen years in Serbia, praised by many as a hero, and arrested in Lazarevo in the Banat region of the Vojvodina province. Accusations against Mladić include orchestrating the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica and burying the remains in mass graves in the area, described as the worst slaughter of civilians in Europe since World War II. Mladić had suffered several strokes in recent years.

Inspired by Jovana Gec ow.ly/55PcX image source Politika newspaper ow.ly/55Pba

Ante Gotovina the 55 year old former Lieutenant General of the Croatian Army has been convicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Tribunal for his role in expelling Krajina Serbs from Croatia during the war of independence. Captured while hiding in the Canary Islands he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment. Gotovina is seen by many in Croatia as a war hero for his role turning back the brutal Serbian forces, with his defense team supported with experts and documents paid for by the Croatian government. Gotovina was convicted of allowing troops he commanded to loot and kill civilians, and to indiscriminately bomb villages. Gotovina claims that incidents occurred with the active help of US military and CIA personnel.

Inspired by Mike Corder ow.ly/4DdW1 image source EuroHeritage ow.ly/4DdUm