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Serbia war crimes tribunal opens Serbia war crimes tribunal opens
(about 3 hours later)
The war crimes tribunal of Serbian ultra-nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj has opened at The Hague. The trial of Serbian ultra-nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj has opened at the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
Mr Seselj denies the charges of murder, torture and the persecution of non-Serbs brought against him at the International War Crimes Tribunal. Mr Seselj denies the charges of murder, torture and the persecution of Croats, Muslims and other non-Serbs during wars in Bosnia and Croatia in the 1990s.
Mr Seselj's Radical Party is the biggest party in Serbia's parliament. He has said he will rely on a political defence and use the tribunal to show there is a conspiracy against Serbia.
The trial, which is expected to last for about a year, will focus on Serbia's involvement in the wars in Bosnia and Croatia in the early 1990s. His Serbian Radical Party (SRS) is the biggest party in Serbia's parliament.
It is the first case to look at the alleged role of Serbian leaders in the atrocities unleashed during the break-up of Yugoslavia since the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody last year before his genocide trial could finish. Dressed in a dark suit and flanked by two guards, Mr Seselj showed no emotion at the start of his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The trial is expected to start with a four-hour opening statement by the prosecution. 'Bellicose nationalism'
Defending himself In her opening statement, prosecutor Christine Dahl accused the former close associate of the late Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, of making several inflammatory speeches calling for the creation of a "Greater Serbia".
Prosecutors say Mr Seselj, 53, was "the chief propagandist for a Greater Serbia". The destruction of her community, her life, her family exemplifies the product of the belligerent, bellicose nationalism propagated by the accused Prosecutor Christine Dahl class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/2795235.stm">Charges against Seselj class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/2793899.stm">Seselj in his own words
VOJISLAV SESELJ 1954: Born in eastern Herzegovina1984: Jailed for criticising Communists1990: Sets up Serbian Radical Party (SRS)1991: Elected to Serbian Assembly1993: Forces dissolution of Serbian parliament1999: Resigns as vice-president in Serbian Government2002: Stands in Serbian presidential elections2003: Indicted by UN war crimes tribunal2007: War crimes tribunal opens at The Hague class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/2317765.stm">Profile: Vojislav Seselj class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/2793899.stm">Seselj in his own words She said hundreds of people were tortured and killed by Serb forces, who had been recruited or indoctrinated by Mr Seselj.
He is accused of being part of a joint criminal enterprise with Mr Milosevic that planned to "ethnically cleanse" parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. Ms Dahl then told the story of a Muslim woman who was raped by Serbs and whose husband and two young children were killed.
Like Mr Milosevic, Mr Seselj is acting as his own lawyer and displays contempt for the court. "The destruction of her community, her life, her family exemplifies the product of the belligerent, bellicose nationalism propagated by the accused," she told the tribunal's three judges.
In pre-trial hearings he said that he too would rely on a political defence, and would use the trial to show that there was an international conspiracy against the Serbs. Both he and Milosevic planned to "ethnically cleanse" large parts of the former Yugoslavia, Ms Dahl alleged, "but while Milosevic would not dare call aloud for the liberation of Serb territory, Seselj would, and did".
Mr Seselj's trial began a year ago but was almost immediately stopped when the defendant went on a hunger strike to push various demands, including that he be able to defend himself. VOJISLAV SESELJ 1954: Born in eastern Herzegovina1984: Jailed for criticising Communists1990: Sets up Serbian Radical Party (SRS)1991: Elected to Serbian Assembly1993: Forces dissolution of Serbian parliament1999: Resigns as vice-president in Serbian Government2002: Stands in Serbian presidential elections2003: Indicted by UN war crimes tribunal2007: War crimes tribunal opens at The Hague class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/2317765.stm">Profile: Vojislav Seselj
He surrendered to the court voluntarily in February 2003 vowing to clear his name. Mr Seselj, who like Milosevic is acting as his own lawyer and displays contempt for the court, does not deny making nationalist speeches, but insists they do not constitute war crimes.
Other key war crimes suspects, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief Gen Ratko Mladic, remain at large. "I am being tried for atrocious war crimes that I allegedly committed through hate speech as I preached my nationalist ideology that I am proud of," he said at a pre-trial hearing.
"I have no other involvement in these crimes expect for what I said or wrote."
Mr Seselj's trial began a year ago, but was almost immediately stopped when he went on a hunger strike for 28 days to push various demands, including that he be able to defend himself.
The ultra-nationalist leader surrendered to the ICTY voluntarily in February 2003, vowing to clear his name of three charges of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes, including persecution, deportation, murder and torture.
Other key war crimes suspects, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, Gen Ratko Mladic, remain at large.
Milosevic died in detention in The Hague in March 2006 before his war crimes trial ended.
Political rhetoric
The BBC's Nick Hawton in Belgrade says Mr Seselj still has influence over political developments in Serbia.
MPs from his party turn up to parliamentary sessions wearing t-shirts or badges with his face emblazoned on them.
The SRS may not be in power, but political stability in Serbia is fragile and with the sensitive issue of Kosovo still to be resolved and a presidential election expected in the next two months, the party could benefit from the trial of their leader, our correspondent says.
Serbian state television has agreed to broadcast substantial parts of the trial, which is expected to last for about a year.
Many people will watch, either for the political rhetoric that Mr Seselj is sure to produce, or for the colourful and dismissive language that he employed in many of the pre-trial hearings, our correspondent adds.
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