Hague rejects Šešelj acquittal request

The Hague Tribunal today ruled to reject Vojislav Seselj’s request to be released after the prosecution had finished presenting evidence. The court rejected Seselj's request to call off the trial and drop the charges, stating that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to warrant a continuation of the process. Hague rejects Seselj acquittal request The court's decision was 120 pages long. Presiding Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti did not fully agree with other trial chamber members and gave his dissenting opinion. According to him, the chamber could not state that the prosecution's evidence has been lacking reliability and credibility. “At this stage, there is enough evidence for a conviction for inciting the crimes listed in the indictment,” Antonetti noted. “Therefore, the chamber rejects the indictee's motion,” he stated. “The court has several pieces of evidence that the accused was promoting nationalistic ideology, which included persecution of non-Serbs and spreading an atmosphere of fear among non-Serbian population,” Antonetti said. The court said that the prosecution’s claim that Seselj was aware of the “power of propaganda” had been proved and that the he as a jurist “must have known that advocating religious and national hatred is a criminal act”. No defendant has ever been acquitted in the middle of the trial in the Hague Tribunal. The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader requested to be released in early March since the prosecution, as Seselj claims, did not prove any accusation of war crimes in Croatia, Vojvodina and Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1991 until 1993. According to the Hague Tribunal's rules, the judges may decide that the prosecutors did not present enough evidence against Seselj and drop the entire indictment or some of its counts. If the court does not acquit the accused, the defense will present its own evidence in the continuation of the trial. After an unsuccessful attempt to begin the trial and defendant's hunger strike, the trial finally began in November of 2007. Seselj has been in the Hague Tribunal detention unit in Scheveningen since February 24, 2003 when he surrendered himself. Vojislav Seselj (The Hague Tribunal)

Hague rejects Šešelj acquittal request

The court's decision was 120 pages long. Presiding Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti did not fully agree with other trial chamber members and gave his dissenting opinion.

According to him, the chamber could not state that the prosecution's evidence has been lacking reliability and credibility.

“At this stage, there is enough evidence for a conviction for inciting the crimes listed in the indictment,” Antonetti noted.

“Therefore, the chamber rejects the indictee's motion,” he stated.

“The court has several pieces of evidence that the accused was promoting nationalistic ideology, which included persecution of non-Serbs and spreading an atmosphere of fear among non-Serbian population,” Antonetti said.

The court said that the prosecution’s claim that Šešelj was aware of the “power of propaganda” had been proved and that the he as a jurist “must have known that advocating religious and national hatred is a criminal act”.

No defendant has ever been acquitted in the middle of the trial in the Hague Tribunal.

The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader requested to be released in early March since the prosecution, as Šešelj claims, did not prove any accusation of war crimes in Croatia, Vojvodina and Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1991 until 1993.

According to the Hague Tribunal's rules, the judges may decide that the prosecutors did not present enough evidence against Šešelj and drop the entire indictment or some of its counts.

If the court does not acquit the accused, the defense will present its own evidence in the continuation of the trial.

After an unsuccessful attempt to begin the trial and defendant's hunger strike, the trial finally began in November of 2007.

Šešelj has been in the Hague Tribunal detention unit in Scheveningen since February 24, 2003 when he surrendered himself.