Tribunals President Graciela Gatti Santana ordered independent experts to report by 1 May on the 84-year-old's diagnoses, prognosis, treatment options, life expectancy and care in The Hague.
The order followed a 23 April defence request for provisional release after Mladić suffered a stroke on 10 April, worsening serious neurological, cardiovascular and kidney problems.
Mladić, serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes, has been under palliative care in a Hague detention hospital since 2024, after earlier requests for treatment in Serbia were repeatedly rejected.
If Ratko Mladic is released on humanitarian grounds, could this set a precedent for other convicted war criminals seeking early release?
With political pressure from Russia and Serbia, can the tribunal ensure impartiality in deciding Mladic's fate?
How do international courts determine when medical conditions justify releasing prisoners convicted of crimes against humanity?