The war crimes tribunal of Serbian ultra-nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj has opened at The Hague.

Seselj denies the charges of murder, torture and the persecution of non-Serbs brought against him at the International War Crimes Tribunal.

Seselj's Radical Party is the biggest party in Serbia's parliament.

The trial, which is expected to last for about a year, will focus on Serbia's involvement in the wars in Bosnia and Croatia in the early 1990s.

It is the first case to look at the alleged role of Serbian leaders in the atrocities unleashed during the break-up of Yugoslavia since the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody last year before his genocide trial could finish.

The trial is expected to start with a four-hour opening statement by the prosecution.

Defending himself

Prosecutors say Seselj, 53, was "the chief propagandist for a Greater Serbia".

He is accused of being part of a joint criminal enterprise with Milosevic that planned to "ethnically cleanse" parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

Like Milosevic, Seselj is acting as his own lawyer and displays contempt for the court.

In pre-trial hearings, he said that he too would rely on a political defence, and would use the trial to show that there was an international conspiracy against the Serbs.

Seselj's trial began a year ago but was almost immediately stopped when the defendant went on a hunger strike to push various demands, including that he be able to defend himself.

He surrendered to the court voluntarily in February 2003, vowing to clear his name.

Other key war crimes suspects, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief Gen Ratko Mladic, remain at large.

PHOTO CAPTION

File photo shows Ultra-nationalist Serbian Vojislav Seselj in Belgrade's main square. [AFP]

BBC