Hague Tribunal to Announce Seselj Verdict on March 31

The Hague Tribunal announced that Serbia has been ordered to undertake all necessary measures to ensure that the defendant is present during the pronouncement of the verdict. Trial chamber chair Jean-Claude Antonetti said the deadline for Serbia to inform the tribunal on potential difficulties in executing the court order was March 15.

In response, Seselj gave a statement to Serbian media, saying he wasn’t interested in the Hague Tribunal’s verdict.

Seselj surrendered to the tribunal on March 24, 2003. He was temporarily released in November 2014 due to his poor health.

During his release the tribunal requested that he be returned to the detention unit. The request was issued on March 30, 2015, but wasn’t executed.

“The Appellate Chamber considers it best for the Trial Chamber to execute the order to withdraw its temporary release decision and give a possibility to the parties – Serbia and the Netherlands – to express their opinion regarding the possibility of Seselj remaining at liberty,” the chamber’s decision reads. Two members of the chamber were restrained.

Following this decision, the prosecution at the Hague requested that Seselj be brought back to the detention unit.

The pronouncement of the verdict was originally scheduled for October 30, 2013, but was postponed due to the exemption of one of the trial chamber members.