Mladic visits his daughter's grave

Ratko Mladic was allowed out of his cell in Belgrade today to visit the grave of his daughter who committed suicide during Bosnia's bloody war.

The 69-year-old former general left a lit candle and a small white bouquet of flowers with a red rose in the middle.

"We didn't announce his visit to the grave because it is his private thing and because it represented a security risk," said Bruno Vekaric, Serbia's deputy war crimes prosecutor. "The whole operation lasted for exactly 22 minutes and passed without a glitch. He was at the grave for a few minutes."

Ana Mladic killed herself aged 23 in 1994 with her father's pistol. She was said to be depressed over his role in the 1992-5 war but he has always claimed she was murdered by his enemies.

Serbian officials said Mladic could be handed over to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague today or early tomorrow, pending a last-minute appeal.
Europe's most wanted war crimes fugitive was arrested last week after 16 years on the run.

He is charged with ordering the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995. His lawyers say he is too unwell to stand trial but prosecutors say it is just a delaying tactic.