Biljana Plavsic, former Bosnian Serb leader convicted of war crimes, has died at age 96.

What it means

Biljana Plavsic, a former Bosnian Serb leader and the only woman convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes during the Bosnian War, has died at age 96. She served 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to crimes against humanity, including persecution. Her death marks the end of a significant chapter in post-war justice.

Accuracy & sourcesSourced

The claim is solid, reported by multiple reputable news outlets (ABC Australia, France24, Balkan Insight) citing family or officials. No contradictory reports.

How new

Genuinely new — the death was reported on October 1, 2026, and all coverage is from the past few hours.

Past coverage

We covered the death of fellow Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic in August 2026, another major figure from the same conflict.

Go deeper

• ABC News Australia (Top) — first to publish