Ratko Mladic in hospital with pneumonia
Ratko Mladic has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia, raising new concerns that the former Bosnian-Serb general will not live long enough to face trial for alleged genocide and war crimes.
Ratko Mladic in The Hague
Gen. Mladic., 68, was admitted to an undisclosed hospital on Monday after weekend reports that he had collapsed in his cell in the Scheveningen prison where UN war crimes prisoners are held.
The Bosnian-Serb, accused of the Srebrenica massacre, genocide and other war crimes has frequently complained of ill health since his extradition from Serbia in May.
"The administration let me know that Mladic was transferred to a hospital, reportedly because of pneumonia. But they will not tell me which hospital," said Milos Saljic, his Belgrade lawyer.
Bosnian newspapers reported on Sunday that Mladic had collapsed in his cell following his request that Serbian doctors be allowed to examine him.
Nerma Jelacic, the spokesman for the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, insisted that Mladic had not collapsed
"Concerning the allegations that Mladic had collapsed last week, I would like to stress that these are completely inaccurate."
Ms Jelacic denied that a delay to a trial hearing on 6 October, where Mladic complained of illness, had been caused by his health problems.
"These unfounded speculations cannot be linked in any way to the treatment he is receiving today. Mladic was transferred to the tribunal with a series of pre-existing medical conditions for which he is receiving treatment," she said.
UN war crimes prosecutors have proposed splitting the case against Mladic into two to speed up proceedings after the case of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav leader, who spent four years on trial but died in 2006 before a verdict could be reached.
Five days ago at a court hearing, Mladic complained of pain due to a kidney stone and asked to see Serbian doctors.
Mladic, who evaded arrest for 16 years, is accused of orchestrating the killing of over 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 and of commanding the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in which 10,000 people were killed.
He has refused to enter a plea to the charges.
Mr Saljic, his defence lawyer, has predicted that Mladic would not live to face trial following three strokes and a battle with cancer as recently as two years ago.
Ms Jelacic denied that a delay to a trial hearing on 6 October, where Mladic complained of illness, had been caused by his health problems.
"These unfounded speculations cannot be linked in any way to the treatment he is receiving today. Mladic was transferred to the tribunal with a series of pre-existing medical conditions for which he is receiving treatment," she said.
UN war crimes prosecutors have proposed splitting the case against Mladic into two to speed up proceedings after the case of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav leader, who spent four years on trial but died in 2006 before a verdict could be reached.
Five days ago at a court hearing, Mladic complained of pain due to a kidney stone and asked to see Serbian doctors.
Mladic, who evaded arrest for 16 years, is accused of orchestrating the killing of over 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 and of commanding the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in which 10,000 people were killed.
He has refused to enter a plea to the charges.
Mr Saljic, his defence lawyer, has predicted that Mladic would not live to face trial following three strokes and a battle with cancer as recently as two years ago.
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