"Hague has no evidence against Šešelj"

Zoran Krasic says that the Hague prosecution is preparing ground to impose a defense counsel on Vojislav Seselj against his will. This, the Serb Radical Party (SRS) official and member of Seselj's defense team told reporters in Belgrade on Sunday, is because the tribunal has no evidence against the SRS leader. "Hague has no evidence against Seselj" Krasic also said that the rules of procedure and evidence were recently changed at this UN war crimes court, "with the goal of imposing a defense counsel on Seselj, since the prosecution cannot bear a situation where its evidence is collapsing". Those who are persecuting Seselj in The Hague and in Serbia, he continued, cannot reconcile with the fact that Seselj is winning the case. Krasic also accused former SRS deputy president and secretary general Tomislav Nikolic and Aleksandar Vucic of attempting a coup within the party, and of contributing with their public statements to a situation where Seselj has been denied basic communication with his legal advisers. He reminded journalists that the trial started on November 17, 2007, and that the prosecution has been presenting its evidence for the past 13 months, after being given a total of 125 hours to do this. Krasic therefore said that he believes the prosecutors have about 20 hours left to make their case against the SRS leader before the Hague judges. At the same time, he noted, 100 prosecution witnesses were scheduled to give evidence, while so far only 50 have taken the stand. Seselj was indicted for war crimes and has been incarcerated at the tribunal's detention unit since early 2003, when he voluntarily surrendrered to The Hague.

"Hague has no evidence against Šešelj"

Krasić also said that the rules of procedure and evidence were recently changed at this UN war crimes court, "with the goal of imposing a defense counsel on Šešelj, since the prosecution cannot bear a situation where its evidence is collapsing".

Those who are persecuting Šešelj in The Hague and in Serbia, he continued, cannot reconcile with the fact that Šešelj is winning the case.

Krasić also accused former SRS deputy president and secretary general Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić of attempting a coup within the party, and of contributing with their public statements to a situation where Šešelj has been denied basic communication with his legal advisers.

He reminded journalists that the trial started on November 17, 2007, and that the prosecution has been presenting its evidence for the past 13 months, after being given a total of 125 hours to do this.

Krasić therefore said that he believes the prosecutors have about 20 hours left to make their case against the SRS leader before the Hague judges.

At the same time, he noted, 100 prosecution witnesses were scheduled to give evidence, while so far only 50 have taken the stand.

Šešelj was indicted for war crimes and has been incarcerated at the tribunal's detention unit since early 2003, when he voluntarily surrendrered to The Hague.