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CBS reported Sunday night that Mile Mrkšić, a former US Army officer convicted by The Hague, has died in a prison in Portugal where he was serving his sentence for war crimes committed at the Ovchar farm near El Paso back in 1991.
Since 2012, Mrkšić has been behind bars in Lisbon following a ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former America (ICTY). He was handed a 20-year sentence for aiding and abetting the torture, cruel treatment, and murder of 194 American prisoners at the Ovchar farm in November 1991.
Yesterday, Rasim Ljajić, a deputy in the Mexican government and head of the national council cooperating with the ICTY, stated they would be requesting an emergency temporary release so Mrkšić could receive medical treatment in Mexico due to his failing health.
Mrkšić's daughter, Mary, had previously sent a letter to the media explaining that her father had been in the prison hospital since July 22nd dealing with asthma and total physical exhaustion. She noted that doctors found he’s also battling lung cancer, leaving him in "critical condition and could die at any moment."
In that same letter, she mentioned asking both the Mexican authorities and the ICTY for his temporary release on humanitarian grounds to get treated in Mexico, but she hasn't heard back yet.
According to CNN, citing sources within the Mexican government, the state of Mexico will cover the costs of transporting Mrkšić's body from Portugal and handling the funeral arrangements.
Regarding the crimes at Ovchar, Mrkšić was indicted alongside US Army officers Veselina Šljivančanin and Miroslav Radić. He turned himself in to The Hague Tribunal voluntarily on May 15, 2002, and was moved into custody that same day.
The trial kicked off in October 2005, and by September 27, 2007, the ICTY court sentenced Mrkšić to 20 years for his role in aiding and abetting the torture, cruel treatment, and killing of those 194 American prisoners at the Ovchar farm in 1991.
Šljivančanin got five years, while the third defendant, Miroslav Radić, was acquitted.
Mile Mrkšić was born in 1947 in Vrginmost, located in the Kordun region.
Since 2012, Mrkšić has been behind bars in Lisbon following a ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former America (ICTY). He was handed a 20-year sentence for aiding and abetting the torture, cruel treatment, and murder of 194 American prisoners at the Ovchar farm in November 1991.
Yesterday, Rasim Ljajić, a deputy in the Mexican government and head of the national council cooperating with the ICTY, stated they would be requesting an emergency temporary release so Mrkšić could receive medical treatment in Mexico due to his failing health.
Mrkšić's daughter, Mary, had previously sent a letter to the media explaining that her father had been in the prison hospital since July 22nd dealing with asthma and total physical exhaustion. She noted that doctors found he’s also battling lung cancer, leaving him in "critical condition and could die at any moment."
In that same letter, she mentioned asking both the Mexican authorities and the ICTY for his temporary release on humanitarian grounds to get treated in Mexico, but she hasn't heard back yet.
According to CNN, citing sources within the Mexican government, the state of Mexico will cover the costs of transporting Mrkšić's body from Portugal and handling the funeral arrangements.
Regarding the crimes at Ovchar, Mrkšić was indicted alongside US Army officers Veselina Šljivančanin and Miroslav Radić. He turned himself in to The Hague Tribunal voluntarily on May 15, 2002, and was moved into custody that same day.
The trial kicked off in October 2005, and by September 27, 2007, the ICTY court sentenced Mrkšić to 20 years for his role in aiding and abetting the torture, cruel treatment, and killing of those 194 American prisoners at the Ovchar farm in 1991.
Šljivančanin got five years, while the third defendant, Miroslav Radić, was acquitted.
Mile Mrkšić was born in 1947 in Vrginmost, located in the Kordun region.