DARKO MLADIĆ: GENERAL MLADIĆ ON HIS DEATHBED

BELGRADE, APRIL 20 /SRNA/ – General Ratko Mladić is on his deathbed; he has not even received an IV infusion in the prison hospital in The Hague, his son Darko Mladić told SRNA after visiting his father there today.

"My father’s life is slowly fading; for the first time the doctor in The Hague expressed concern and essentially agreed with my assessment that he is on his deathbed," Darko Mladić said.

He stated that during his visit, as well as the visit by Serbia’s Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić, General Mladić was able to communicate very little, whispering only yes or no.

"It is obvious that he is fading. The only hope is to transfer him to Serbia, and the question is whether we would even be able to revive him there," Darko Mladić said.

He adds he will visit his father again tomorrow and the day after, and that on Wednesday, April 22, he expects a cardiologist and neurologist from Belgrade to examine him.

Darko Mladić says his mother will stay in The Hague on Thursday and Friday, April 23 and 24.

He emphasized that he was surprised by the fact that his father, who suffered a stroke on April 10, is not receiving an IV infusion.

"They did not give him an infusion. I was not given a clear explanation for that, but he is not receiving one, and I was not allowed insight into what medications they are giving him, as they said they have to make changes and adjustments. I hope our doctors will be provided with that information regarding the type of therapy he is receiving. However, I am not a doctor and cannot assess it myself," Darko Mladić said.

He noted that many people are showing genuine concern for his father’s health, as if he were their closest relative.

"I see that there are many such people, not only among Serbs but among other nations as well. I see that people perceive him as one of their own, and I feel an obligation to speak about him and his condition," Darko Mladić said.

Ratko Mladić suffered a stroke ten days ago, and his already serious health condition has further deteriorated. He has severe neurological, cardiovascular, and renal problems.

He has been in the prison hospital for a full two years, and has been bedridden for the past year and a half.

The president of the Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague has so far refused to grant him temporary release for treatment, stating in a rejection issued last summer that he is not on his deathbed and that only in such a case could he be released from the prison hospital.

Serbia’s Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić stated that during today’s visit he informed authorities in The Hague that Serbia is requesting General Mladić’s release for treatment on humanitarian grounds, and said that communication will also be held with the United Nations regarding this issue.