Mladic's relatives seek to have him declared dead

THE FAMILY of Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is seeking to have him officially declared dead, claiming that his ill health would not have allowed him to survive some 15 years on the run.

Lawyer Milos Saljic said Gen Mladic’s family would seek the ruling from a Belgrade court “based on the fact that the general was a very sick man” and “because it wants to put an end to everyday pressure and prosecution”.

Gen Mladic’s family complain that they are subject to harassment by police and intelligence services who regularly search their property and monitor their movements.

If Gen Mladic was declared dead, the family could claim payment of his now frozen military pension, and would be allowed to sell his property.

“The family has decided to stop the agony because it has long been convinced that Gen Mladic is no longer alive. No one has seen him for seven years,” said Mr Saljic, who claimed that Gen Mladic suffered a bad stroke in 1996 and was later treated for digestive problems.

“Under the circumstances, and considering the conditions he would be living in while on the run, it is normal to assume that he is not alive,” he added. “If he were alive, he would have to seek medical help.”

Serb officials poured scorn on the family’s request and said they would continue to search for the leader of Bosnian Serb forces during the country’s 1992 to 1995 war.

Gen Mladic was indicted in 1995 for genocide in the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo. He lived openly in Belgrade for some time following his indictment before disappearing as pressure mounted on Serbia to hand him over.

Prosecutors at the UN war crimes court in The Hague believe he is still in Serbia under the protection of hardliners and nationalists in the country’s military intelligence and state security.

“Thousands of people have gone missing in the wars, but none of their family members asked a court to declare them dead, although the possibility that they were no longer alive was much higher,” said Rasim Ljajic, who is in charge of Serbia’s co-operation with the UN court.

“Mladic’s family is making this demand precisely because they know he is alive.”

Despite improving relations with Brussels, Serbia’s path to EU membership is likely to be blocked until Gen Mladic is found.