Ratko Mladić [BBC profile], a former Bosnian Serb commander, has filed a challenge to a UN court’s rejection of his request to be sent to Russia, according to court documents [text, PDF] released Tuesday. Mladić is seeking medical attention, as he has alleged that the care he receives at The Hague is inadequate. The Hague refutes these claims and fears, that if released, Mladić would not return. Mladić was indicted on two counts of genocide in 1995. He was not arrested until 2011. Closing arguments in Mladić’s trial were made in December 2016.

In December prosecutors in Mladić’s war crimes trial urged [JURIST report] the judges to impose a life sentence. The trial commenced on May 16, 2012, before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website]. Mladić is commonly referred to as the “Butcher of Bosnia” for the various war crimes he allegedly committed during the Bosnian conflict from 1992-1995, including genocide and crimes against humanity [ICTY case sheet, PDF]. The charges against Mladić allege that he was responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre [BBC backgrounder] as well as a Serb sniping and mortar campaign.