Serbia seeks release of General Mladić

Serbia has announced it is seeking the release of former Bosnian Serb military commander General Ratko Mladić, who is currently serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes. The country's government stated it will also contact the United Nations regarding the matter. This move represents a significant diplomatic effort by Belgrade concerning one of the most notorious figures from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. The request is likely to face strong international opposition given the gravity of Mladić's convictions by the UN's International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.