Ratko Mladic Fast Facts

Here is a look at the life of Ratko Mladic, former leader of the Bosnian Serb army, sentenced to life in prison for genocide and other war crimes.

Birth date: March 12, 1942

Birth place: Kalnovik, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Birth name: Ratko Mladic

Father: Nedja Mladic

Mother: Stana Mladic

Marriage: Bosiljka Mladic

Children: Darko and Ana

1965 - Graduates from a military academy and joins the Communist Party.

1992 - As a commander in the Bosnian Serb army, Mladic leads the siege of Sarajevo.

July 1995 - Mladic spearheads an attack on the town of Srebrenica. Approximately 8,000 Muslim men and boys are killed.

1995 - Mladic is indicted by the UN-established International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes and atrocities.

July 1996 - An international warrant is issued for his arrest.

1996-2001 - He takes refuge in Belgrade with the protection of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

2001 - Mladic goes into hiding after Milosevic is arrested.

October 12, 2007 - Serbian officials offer one million euros for information leading to the capture of Mladic.

May 26, 2011 - Mladic is arrested in Serbia.

July 4, 2011 - Mladic refuses to enter a plea so the presiding judge enters not guilty pleas to all counts against him.

May 16, 2012 - Mladic's trial begins. He's charged with two counts of genocide, nine crimes against humanity and war crimes.

January 28, 2014 - He refuses to testify at the genocide trial of former Bosian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic and denounces the ICTY court as "satanic."

October 23, 2014 - The ICTY announces that the court will hear details about a mass grave investigators believe has ties to Mladic.

December 7, 2016 - During closing arguments, prosecutors recommend a life sentence for Mladic.

December 15, 2016 - Mladic's trial is adjourned. Three UN judges begin deliberating on his fate. The process could take up to a year.

November 22, 2017 - Mladic is sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.

March 22, 2018 - Appeals his conviction and sentence.

August 25-26, 2020 - Mladic's appeal hearing takes place.

June 8, 2021 - A UN court upholds Mladic's conviction and life sentence.