Trial of Serbian leader Seselj to close in March

Nov 1, 2011, 15:07 GMT

The Hague - The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) said Tuesday that it will hear the closing arguments against Serbian leader Vojislav Seselj on March 5.

The leader of the nationalist Serbian Radical Party, Seselj is on trial for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between 1991-94 against the non-Serb population from large parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

Seselj has been in detention at the ICTY since 2003 and his trial, often delayed, began four years ago. Even if found guilty, he may walk on the day of sentencing if the sentence turns out to be shorter than his stay in detention.

On Monday, the ICTY sentenced him to 18 months for contempt of court, because he revealed the identity of protected witnesses in a book. It was the second contempt sentence against him, with a third case presently being processed.

During his trial, Seselj has often disregarded the tribunal's rules, promising to 'destroy' it by demonstrating its 'absurdity.'

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