Serbia receives ICTY order concerning Seselj’s release

BELGRADE - Serbia's Justice Ministry has received an order from The Hague tribunal’s trial chamber in the Vojislav Seselj case inviting the Netherlands as the host country and the Serbian government to provide their comments regarding guarantees concerning Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader’s possible provisional release, the ministry told Tanjug on Wednesday.

Earlier today, Rasim Ljajic, chairman of the National Council for Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said that when it arrived, the order would go through the same regular procedure that had been in place for all ICTY indictees and the guarantees would be issued accordingly.

Commenting on an SRS statement warning the Belgrade authorities against providing any guarantees against Seselj's will, Ljajic said that the guarantees were the main issue now and that, in the past, the government had issued guarantees for all ICTY indictees automatically.

The trial chamber in the Vojislav Seselj case before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has called on the Netherlands (as the host country of the ICTY) and the Serbian government to declare their positions on guarantees for a possible provisional release of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader.

Both governments have a seven-day deadline to declare their positions on the tribunal's request.

Commenting on an SRS statement warning the Belgrade authorities against providing any guarantees against Seselj's will, Rasim Ljajic, the chairman of Serbia's National Council for Co-operation with the ICTY, said that the guarantees are the main topic and that, in the past, the government has issued guarantees for all ICTY indictees...