Minister asks Hague to delay Seselj verdict "some more"

Minister asks Hague to delay Seselj verdict "some more"

Earlier, cabinet minister and president of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal (ICTY) Rasim Ljajic said the court had hinted a verdict in the trial could be expected by March 12.

But Vulin says there is "no reason" for the Hague Tribunal "to do in 12 days what they failed to do in 12 years."

He clarified that he believes "the court waited, for no reason and without a sound judicial basis, 12 years to deliver a verdict to Vojislav Seselj," and added:

"So I plead with them most politely to wait another 12 months. They let Mr. Seselj come here for health reasons and let them let him be involved in politics, take part in elections, let them let him live his life, they have no reason or justification to do what they are doing, not before the election."

However, the minister added that he "unfortunately can imagine the Hague Tribunal do anything" and that the institution "cares very little about the law and justice."

"In any case, let them wait until after our elections, they have no reason at all to do in 12 days what they have not done in 12 years," he said.

Vulin stressed his position was "more than clear - Serbia's interests, too, must be taken into account, her stability, and it must be taken into account in every way that people who are here have their rights, and must be treated accordingly."

"I think the Hague Tribunal should not deliver any verdict and should not interfere in our relations. What they have waited (to do ) for 12 years, let them wait some more," said Vulin.

"By end of March"

The Hague Tribunal has not yet informed Serbia about when it will deliver the verdict in the war crimes case against SRS leader Vojislav Seselj.

However, they have said generally that this can be expected by March 31, according to Rasim Ljajic.

He told TV Pink that Serbia will respond to the tribunal's request that Seselj attends the sentencing "once this request has definitely arrived."

The Hague-based war crimes tribunal granted Seselj, a war crimes indictee, temporary release in November 2014 due to ill health, after keeping him incarcerated for over 11 years.

According to Ljajic Serbia respect its international obligations and its own law - "but on the other hand has to take into account the overall stability in the country and society."

Asked whether Serbian authorities would arrest Seselj "if they had to," Ljajic said he could not answer this question with either a yes or a no "at this moment."

"We need to consider all other possibilities for which there is a chance to be implemented, I'm not saying that these possibilities are realistic... We have several rwequests from Seselj's defense, our legal counsel has some ideas on this occasion, when all that has been exhausted we will be able to say what Serbia will do on this proposal," said Ljajic.

Asked about the case of the SRS party officials accused by the tribunal of contempt of court, Ljajic said that Serbia suggested to the tribunal "an option to solve this - and that is to put them on trial in Serbia."

"We did not get an answer and are waiting for an answer from the tribunal. Our suggestion was strictly confidential, and then they published it. It is absolutely their fault. This is contempt of court, it was a submission under the label of strict confidentiality," said Ljajic.

He added that Serbia "will do everything that is in its interest not to jeopardize the stability of the country in any way, to respect its laws and its obligations toward the tribunal."

In addition, Ljajic spoke about the announced early parliamentary election to say that the goal of the coalition gathered around the ruling SNS party was to win enough votes to form the next government "alone."