Vojislav Šešelj

Infobox Person
name = Vojislav Šešelj
Војислав Шешељ


image_size = 200px
caption = Vojislav Šešelj
birth_name =
birth_date = birth date and age|1954|10|11
birth_place = Sarajevo
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nationality = Serb
other_names = Voja
known_for =
education = PhD in Law
alma_mater = University of Sarajevo
employer =
occupation = President of SRS
home_town = Belgrade
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party = Serbian Radical Party
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religion = Serbian Orthodox
spouse = Jadranka
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children = Nikola, Aleksandar, Mihailo, Luka
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website = [http://www.vojislavseselj.org.yu]
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Vojislav Šešelj (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав Шешељ, pronounced|ˈvɔjislav ˈʃɛʃɛʎ) (b. 11 October 1954, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian nationalist politician, and the founder and president of the Serbian Radical Party, in the Serbian parliament.

He was indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity [ [http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/ses-ii030115e.htm Vojislav Seselj - Indictment] , from the [http://www.un.org/icty/ ICTY’s official website] ] by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Šešelj was not handed over to United Nations personnel; he flew to The Hague by choice in February 2003. His trial began in November 2007. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7082309.stm BBC NEWS | Europe | Serb accused at war crimes trial ] ]

Biography

Early life

Vojislav Šešelj was born in Sarajevo to an ethnic Serb Orthodox family that hails from Popovo Polje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then SFR Yugoslavia, near the city of Trebinje. His father is originally from Montenegro and his mother descends from an old Serb clan from Herzegovina. He graduated in law at the University of Sarajevo, and soon obtained a doctorate in 1979. A brilliant student, he became the youngest PhD in Yugoslavia. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2317765.stm Profile: Vojislav Šešelj] , "BBC News", 29 December 2003]

Šešelj taught political science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, United States, and then at Sarajevo until 1984, when the Communist authorities of Yugoslavia convicted him of "counter-revolutionary activities" and sentenced him to eight years in prison, although the Supreme Court commuted the sentence and he was released in 1986.

Political career

In 1989 Šešelj returned to the United States where Momčilo Đujić, a Chetnik leader from World War II, granted him the title "Vojvoda of the Chetniks". Together with Vuk Drašković and Mirko Jović, Šešelj founded the anti-communist Serbian National Renewal (SNO) party in 1989. Šešelj later split off his faction into the Serbian Radical Party.

His relations with President Slobodan Milošević’s Socialist Party was amicable during the first years of the Yugoslav Wars until September 1993, when he came into conflict with Milošević over Milošević's withdrawal of support for Republika Srpska in the Bosnian War. Šešelj landed in jail again in 1994 and 1995 for his opposition to Milošević.

In 1998 as violence in the Serbian province of Kosovo increased, Šešelj joined Milošević’s national unity government, siding briefly with the pro-Milosevic government.

Šešelj objected to foreign media and human rights organizations acting in Yugoslavia, saying "“If we cannot grab all their (NATO) planes, we can grab those within our reach, like various Helsinki committees, and Quisling groups”" and "“To those who we prove have participated in the service of foreign propaganda and those are the Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe, Radio France International, and the BBC radio service etc. If we find them in the moment of aggression they shouldn't expect anything good.”" [ [http://hrw.org/english/docs/1998/10/02/serbia1372.htm Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Šešelj Threatens Journalists and Human Rights Organizations] , "Human Rights Watch", 2 October 1998]

He became vice-president of the Serbian government between 1998 and 2000. During the Kosovo War and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, he and his political party were willing to support Milošević, but after three months of bombardment they were the only party to vote against the withdrawal of Serbian security forces from Kosovo.

ICTY custody

In late February 2003 Šešelj surrendered to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on the indictment of "eight counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of violations of the laws or customs of war for his alleged participation in a joint criminal enterprise". [ [http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/ses-ii030115e.htm ICTY indictment against Vojislav Šešelj] , "The Centre for SouthEast European Studies", 16 April 2006]

While in custody, he wrote a book titled "„Kriminalac i ratni zločinac Havijer Solana”" (“Felon and War Criminal Javier Solana”), a criticism of the NATO Secretary General (and the current High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union and the Western European Union) who led the 1999 war in Kosovo. [ [http://www.csees.net/?page=news&news_id=51600&country_id=8 There is no peace with Solana and NATO - Serbian Radicals' deputy head] ]

On 2 December 2006, about 40,000 people marched in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, in support of Šešelj during his 28-day hunger strike in The Hague - after the ICTY denied him the right to choose his own defence counsel. Speaking at the rally, Radical Party secretary Aleksandar Vučić said "He's not fighting just for his life. But he's fighting for all of us who are gathered here. Vojislav Šešelj is fighting for Serbia!" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6202624.stm Serbs march in support of Šešelj] , "BBC News", 2 December 2006] [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-briefs3.4dec03,1,6835559.story?coll=la-news-a_section&ctrack=1&cset=true 30,000 protest Serb's detention] , "Los Angeles Times", December 3, 2006] Šešelj ended the hunger strike on 8 December after being allowed to present his own defence. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6163129.stm Serb suspect ends hunger strike] , "BBC News", 8 December 2006]

Although in custody in The Hague, Šešelj led his party's list of contenders for the January 2007 general election. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6168074.stm Serbian suspect to stand in poll] , "BBC News", 21 November 2006]

According the ICTY Vojislav Seselj organized and participated in the expulsion and murder of Vojvodina Croats during the Yugoslav wars. [ [http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/ses-ii030115e.htm Vojislav Seselj indictment] ]

Trivia

*By the time of the rupture of the political relationship with Slobodan Milošević’s government over the prospect of peace negotiations with the Western World powers on Bosnian War, Milošević once defined Šešelj as "“the personification of violence and primitivity”".
*On student protests during 1992, Šešelj pulled out a gun on protesting crowd. Did the same thing during 1992 taxi drivers strike.
*In 2005 Šešelj made Internet headlines when he was asked to read a letter which he earlier sent to the ICTY that stated his contempt for the court. [ [http://galeb.etf.bg.ac.yu/~firestarter/seselj English translation of Šešelj's testimony in ICTY] ] The letter was read in front of cameras by Šešelj and contained copious amounts of insults and expletives aimed at the top Tribunal officials and judges. In his letter, Šešelj said that the presiding judge can only perform oral sex on him, and he reffered to Carla Del Ponte as "the prostitute". Recordings of his statement have been aired many times in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

References

ee also

*Battle of Vukovar
*Greater Serbia
*Role of Serb media in the 1991-1999 wars in the former Yugoslavia

External links

* [http://www.vojislavseselj.org.yu/ Vojislav Šešelj support site] sr icon
* [http://www.srpskinacionalisti.com/ Unofficial site] sr icon
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2793899.stm Vojislav Seselj in his own words] , "BBC News", 24 February 2003
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=d6_PUtNhiJg Video:Vojislav Seselj-"We'll slaughter Croats with rusty spoons!"] sr icon
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/serbia/article/0,2479,1112797,00.html War crime suspects go for win in Serb poll - The Guardian]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/03/99/kosovo_strikes/316198.stm Vojislav Seselj: Milosevic's hard-line ally - BBC]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/07/europe/serb.php International Herald Tribune - Vojislav Seselj goes on trial at The Hague over Serbian crimes]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/world/europe/08hague.html The New York Times: Serb Nationalist’s Trial Begins in The Hague]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2473163,00.html Chetnik leader's war crimes trial - TIME]
* [http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL0722911020071107?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews Serbia's Seselj incited ethnic cleansing - Reuters]