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| Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Nationalist, Acquitted of War Crimes by Hague Tribunal | Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Nationalist, Acquitted of War Crimes by Hague Tribunal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| THE HAGUE — A United Nations tribunal on Thursday acquitted a Serbian nationalist ideologue, Vojislav Seselj, of war crimes and of crimes against humanity in connection with the Balkan wars of the 1990s. | THE HAGUE — A United Nations tribunal on Thursday acquitted a Serbian nationalist ideologue, Vojislav Seselj, of war crimes and of crimes against humanity in connection with the Balkan wars of the 1990s. |
| The acquittal by a three-judge panel — coming one week after the same court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, convicted the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on one count of genocide, but acquitted him of another — prompted a wave of outrage across the Balkans. | |
| Mr. Seselj, 61, had been charged with three counts of crimes against humanity and six of war crimes over ethnic cleansing in Croatia, Bosnia and the Serbian province of Vojvodina between August 1991 and September 1993. Mr. Seselj, the longtime head of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, was accused of mobilizing volunteer fighters, known as Seselj’s Men. | Mr. Seselj, 61, had been charged with three counts of crimes against humanity and six of war crimes over ethnic cleansing in Croatia, Bosnia and the Serbian province of Vojvodina between August 1991 and September 1993. Mr. Seselj, the longtime head of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, was accused of mobilizing volunteer fighters, known as Seselj’s Men. |
| The charges against Mr. Seselj involved the forcible transfer of tens of thousands of civilians; torture, sexual assaults, beatings and other physical abuse of detained non-Serbs; the destruction of homes, religious sites, cultural institutions; and hate speech. More than 100,000 people died in the wars in Bosnia and Croatia in the early ’90s. | The charges against Mr. Seselj involved the forcible transfer of tens of thousands of civilians; torture, sexual assaults, beatings and other physical abuse of detained non-Serbs; the destruction of homes, religious sites, cultural institutions; and hate speech. More than 100,000 people died in the wars in Bosnia and Croatia in the early ’90s. |
| But the tribunal found that Mr. Seselj was not responsible for any crimes because he was distant from the events and because the men in his volunteer force were under Serbian military command. | But the tribunal found that Mr. Seselj was not responsible for any crimes because he was distant from the events and because the men in his volunteer force were under Serbian military command. |
| The presiding judge — Jean-Claude Antonetti of France, who during the trial was often a target of Mr. Seselj’s taunts and insults — said the prosecution “had failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that there was a widespread and systematic attack against the non-Serb civilian population in large areas of Croatia and Bosnia.” | The presiding judge — Jean-Claude Antonetti of France, who during the trial was often a target of Mr. Seselj’s taunts and insults — said the prosecution “had failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that there was a widespread and systematic attack against the non-Serb civilian population in large areas of Croatia and Bosnia.” |
| Judge Antonetti said that Mr. Seselj’s incendiary speeches, calling for killing and revenge against his enemies, were “meant to boost the morale” of his followers, and were not crimes. The tribunal found that the evidence “establishes instead that there was an armed conflict between enemy military forces with civilian components.” | Judge Antonetti said that Mr. Seselj’s incendiary speeches, calling for killing and revenge against his enemies, were “meant to boost the morale” of his followers, and were not crimes. The tribunal found that the evidence “establishes instead that there was an armed conflict between enemy military forces with civilian components.” |
| Another judge, Flavia Lattanzi of Italy, strongly dissented on nearly all counts. | |
| Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic of Croatia denounced the acquittal as “a shameful slap to the victims.” | Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic of Croatia denounced the acquittal as “a shameful slap to the victims.” |
| He said Mr. Seselj “did not show remorse for the wrongs committed against the victims in Vukovar,” he added, referring to a city in eastern Croatia, along the border with Serbia, that was decimated during the 1990s war. He added that the tribunal’s failure to “recognize the criminal enterprise in Croatia” means that “the fascist politics of Greater Serbia went unpunished.” | He said Mr. Seselj “did not show remorse for the wrongs committed against the victims in Vukovar,” he added, referring to a city in eastern Croatia, along the border with Serbia, that was decimated during the 1990s war. He added that the tribunal’s failure to “recognize the criminal enterprise in Croatia” means that “the fascist politics of Greater Serbia went unpunished.” |
| Mr. Seselj, a former deputy prime minister of Serbia and an ally of the former Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, surrendered in 2003. H he became notorious at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague for taunting the judges and for disrupting his trial. | Mr. Seselj, a former deputy prime minister of Serbia and an ally of the former Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, surrendered in 2003. H he became notorious at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague for taunting the judges and for disrupting his trial. |
| The long delays in Mr. Seselj’s case caused profound embarrassment for the tribunal. As well as the obstructions from Mr. Seselj, there was also a lengthy dispute among judges that led one of them to be removed, for apparent bias. In November 2014, the court allowed Mr. Seselj to go to Belgrade for cancer treatment, as long as he remained under house arrest. | The long delays in Mr. Seselj’s case caused profound embarrassment for the tribunal. As well as the obstructions from Mr. Seselj, there was also a lengthy dispute among judges that led one of them to be removed, for apparent bias. In November 2014, the court allowed Mr. Seselj to go to Belgrade for cancer treatment, as long as he remained under house arrest. |
| He was not present in the courtroom on Thursday. He also declined to follow the verdict by a live video link. In Belgrade, Mr. Seselj’s supporters celebrated and said they expected a lift for the Serbian Radical Party in the coming elections. | He was not present in the courtroom on Thursday. He also declined to follow the verdict by a live video link. In Belgrade, Mr. Seselj’s supporters celebrated and said they expected a lift for the Serbian Radical Party in the coming elections. |
| Trained as a legal scholar, Mr. Seselj was jailed for two years, in 1984, for advocating that Yugoslavia be replaced by a Serb-dominated entity. He helped establish the Serbian Radical Party in 1990, as Yugoslavia was falling apart, and resisted moves by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia to declare independence. He was seen in many quarters as even more extreme than Mr. Milosevic, who died in prison in The Hague in 2006. | Trained as a legal scholar, Mr. Seselj was jailed for two years, in 1984, for advocating that Yugoslavia be replaced by a Serb-dominated entity. He helped establish the Serbian Radical Party in 1990, as Yugoslavia was falling apart, and resisted moves by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia to declare independence. He was seen in many quarters as even more extreme than Mr. Milosevic, who died in prison in The Hague in 2006. |
| Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, noted that an indictment and arrest warrants were still pending against three of Mr. Seselj’s associates, including two members of his defense team, who are accused of threatening, intimidating or trying to bribe two prosecution witnesses. During his 11 years in detention, Mr. Seselj was convicted three times of contempt of court for revealing the identities of witnesses for the prosecution. | Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, noted that an indictment and arrest warrants were still pending against three of Mr. Seselj’s associates, including two members of his defense team, who are accused of threatening, intimidating or trying to bribe two prosecution witnesses. During his 11 years in detention, Mr. Seselj was convicted three times of contempt of court for revealing the identities of witnesses for the prosecution. |
| Judge Antonetti concluded his summary on Thursday with the words, “Vojislav Seselj is now a free man.” | Judge Antonetti concluded his summary on Thursday with the words, “Vojislav Seselj is now a free man.” |