Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, has died aged 84, Serbia’s Informer TV reported on August 27.

Mladic died in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after suffering several strokes, Informer TV reported. He had been serving a life sentence since his conviction in 2017.

Known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", Mladic commanded the Army of Republika Srpska during the conflict and was held responsible by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed.

The ICTY convicted Mladic on 10 charges, including genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity and four violations of the laws or customs of war. He was acquitted of a second genocide charge. His conviction and life sentence were upheld on appeal in 2021.

Mladic spent nearly 16 years as a fugitive after the war. He was arrested in the Serbian village of Lazarevo in May 2011 and transferred to The Hague, a move regarded as an important step in Serbia's efforts to advance its European Union membership bid.

His family had repeatedly sought improved medical treatment and a transfer from detention on humanitarian grounds as his health deteriorated.

In a filing earlier this year, his lawyers said Mladic was largely confined to a bed or wheelchair and had suffered a suspected stroke that severely affected his speech. They sought his release or transfer to a hospital or hospice in Serbia, while Serbian authorities indicated they could provide guarantees.

A UN judge subsequently ordered an independent medical assessment of his condition.

Victims' groups in Bosnia had opposed the request, arguing that previous applications for humanitarian release had been rejected.