THE HAGUE: The United Nations judges on Wednesday sentenced former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of genocide and war crimes in the brutal Balkans conflicts over two decades ago.

But the man dubbed ‘The Butcher of Bosnia’ was not present in court to hear the final verdict, having been dragged out of the courtroom after loudly accusing the judges of “lying”. And his son told reporters he planned to appeal.

Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Mladic guilty on 10 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1992-1995 war. He was however found not guilty of one charge of genocide in the municipalities.

About 100,000 people were killed and 2.2 million displaced in the ethnic rivalries which tore apart Yugoslavia, with judges saying “ruthless” Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic’s command carried out mass executions and showed little or no respect for human life or dignity.

“For having committed these crimes, the chamber sentences Mr Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment,” presiding judge Alphons Orie said, adding the crimes were amongst the most heinous known to human kind.

After rumours he would not attend the hearing, Mladic, 74, who once left a trail of fear across Bosnia, gave a thumbs-up as he entered the courtroom in The Hague. But in dramatic scenes he was later ordered to be dragged from the court, after accusing the judges of lying, when they refused to adjourn the hearing because of his high-blood pressure.

Wednesday’s verdict has been long awaited by tens of thousands of victims across the bitterly-divided region, and dozens gathered early outside the courtroom, many clutching photos of loved ones who died or are among the 7,000 still missing.

It was an emotional day for victims, some of whom broke down in tears in the public gallery.

Munira Subasic, president of the Mothers of Srebrenica association, said she was “partially satisfied” with the verdict.

“It’s more than for (Radovan) Karadzic. But they didn’t find him guilty for the accusation of genocide in some villages,” she said.

And Edin Halilovic, 18, whose grandfather died in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, said it had been important to attend the hearing. “My generation, and future generations, must never forget what happened to our families.”

“It’s a page turning in history, but not for me. Nothing can give me back my grandfather,” she added.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017