Deteriorating health
June 2, 2011
Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is in a prison hospital at The Hague, his lawyer said Thursday.
Attorney Aleksandar Aleksic said Mladic's health had deteriorated due to long years of neglect.
"He has not had proper health care for years and his condition is not good," Aleksic told the Reuters news agency.
Aleksic confirmed that Mladic had lost the use of one hand due to a stroke suffered years ago and said he was treated for cancer while on the run, but added that Mladic was mentally capable and responsive.
Europe's most wanted
The former Bosnian Serb army commander is suspected of masterminding the Srebrenica massacre that killed 8,000 people, and was on the run for 16 years before being captured in a Serb village.
Earlier this week the 69-year-old was extradited to the Netherlands to face genocide charges at the UN-backed court in The Hague.
On Friday, Mladic will enter his plea on 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
Author: Sarah Harman (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler