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In contempt of court

June 28, 2012

The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague has sentenced a Serb ultranationalist leader to prison. Vojislav Seselj had flaunted a court order to remove the identities of protected witnesses from his website.

https://p.dw.com/p/15NRd
A man passes by posters showing Serb nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj, reading: ''Serbia awaits Seselj'', in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Image: AP

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Seselj on Thursday for refusing to remove the identities of witnesses granted anonymity by the court. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

"This flagrant disregard for Chambers orders amounts to a direct attack upon the judicial authority of the tribunal," said judge Stefan Trechsel.

Seselj, who was representing himself at the hearing, insulted the judge during the proceedings.

"You are the scum of this world, why would I stand up for you?" he barked at the man.

It was the third time the court convicted Seselj for contempt since his trial began in 2008. The other cases also had to do with the publication of confidential information.

Seselj is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Balkan wars of the early 1990s.

ncy/ipj (AP, AFP, dapd)