Serb leader's war crimes trial set to resume

His trial was adjourned in February when judges found it was not possible to guarantee the safety of 11 remaining witnesses.

The war crimes trial of ultra-nationalist Serb leader Vojislav Seselj, adjourned indefinitely in February because of witness safety concerns, will resume on January 12, a UN court said Wednesday.

- The chamber considers it appropriate to put an end to the adjournment of the hearing of the remaining witnesses and orders the resumption of hearings - said an order of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Seselj's trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity started in November 2007.

Seventy-one witnesses have testified so far on his alleged role in the persecution of Croat, Muslim and other non-Serbs and their expulsion from areas of Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia between 1991 and 1994.

Seselj continues to lead the Serbian Radical Party, the strongest opposition party in parliament in Belgrade, from his prison cell in The Hague.

His trial was adjourned in February when judges found it was not possible to guarantee the safety of 11 remaining witnesses.

In July, Seselj was sentenced to 15 months in prison for identifying three protected witnesses in a book he wrote. He has appealed that ruling.

The court said on Wednesday that "new facts" allowed the trial to resume, and ordered measures to ensure "efficient protection of the security of the victims and witnesses".

To this end, it ordered Seselj to provide the court with copies of any future publications in his name "that would be related in whole or in part to his case".

The registry would then check such publications for possible references to protected witnesses.

The court also announced that it would itself call seven of the remaining witnesses to give evidence, instead of allowing either the prosecution or defence to call them.

This would - enable them to testify freely in a safe environment - said the court, barring both the prosecution and defence from direct contact with these witnesses.

Six of the seven had previously been listed as prosecution witnesses, but changed their minds and decided to testify for Seselj.

The court said that in making its decision to resume the trial, it also considered the length of time Seselj has spent in detention so far "and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights" in this regard.

It asked the prosecution to withdraw three of its last pending witnesses as they were set to give evidence on issues already canvassed.

The trial will resume in January with one of the prosecution's last witnesses.