SERBIA: Serbia gripped by hunger striking Vojislav Seselj drama

The ultranationalist Radical Party, the strongest party in Serbia, says its leader will fast to the bitter end until all his demands, which refer to what he considers breaches of his human rights, are met. Ultranationalist Serb Vojislav Seselj is in detention in the Hague, and is going into his 28th day of refusing all nourishment, drinking only water. Seselj is on trial charged with extermination, murder, persecution on racial and religious grounds, and inhumane acts against non-Serbs during wars with Croats and Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s. Some in Serbia suspect this is all political theatre ahead of elections on January 21, 2007. Seselj's Radical Party is expected to win the most votes against a pro-West majority. And many say Seselj, who surrendered to the Hague tribunal in 2003, to face war crimes charges during the 1990's Balkan wars, might go as far as to starve to death. "I think he does this because of his love for the country, nobody understands that. I think this is stupid because he is going to die. It is horrible to say that, but he will die, and no one cares about him. Do you think the EU cares about Seselj?," pensioner Sonja Dvornik said. Observer Marko Blagojevic of the Belgrade monitoring organisation CESID, says the plight of Seselj might boost the ultranationalist vote for a short while. "This is something that is in Serbian character, this sort of, well let's call it misfortune, attracts sympathy. You must remember how Milosevic's death affected ratings for SPS. You must also remember how the unfortunate death, assassination of our late Prime Minister Djindjic affected ratings of the Democratic Party. But what happened for Milosevic for instance caused a change in ratings for SPS but only on a short-term basis," Blagojevic said. "At least to certain extent and with only a certain group of people here... justifies what he is doing right now, justifies his hunger strike and causes sympathies for his position right now," Blagojevic added. Seselj is now under medical attention in the Hague prison's hospital, and his wife, Jadranka is one of the few people who can talk to him. "He is very exhausted. One can feel on the other end of the phone that he is in great discomfort because of not taking his medication, he has problems with his blood pressure and with asthma, you can tell how hard it is for him to speak," Jadranka Seselj said. Seselj has clearly written to the tribunal and to the Dutch authorities spelling out that he does not want any medical intervention if his state of health deteriorates. His wife is convinced he will not give up. "I dare not say how it will end. Vojislav is determined to fight for these rights, to go on to the end, even if it costs him his life," Jadranka Seselj said. On Thursday (December 7) Serbia warned the United Nations war crimes tribunal that Vojislav Seselj must not be allowed to die on hunger strike in detention. In a statement the government said another tragic event in the Hague tribunal would be absolutely unacceptable. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died of heart failure in detention last March. Doctors said he had been self-medicating in secret apparently to exaggerate his hypertension and win release to a Russian hospital. Serb detainee Milan Babic committed suicide in detention one week before Milosevic.

ITN Source | December 11, 2006

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