War crime suspect puts wife forward for elections

The wife of a detained war crimes suspect who is accused of recruiting brutal paramilitary groups and using hate-laced speeches to incite atrocities will run for president in Serbia’s May elections, his ultranationalist party said.

Vojislav Seselj, who is the leader of the Serbian Radical Party, ordered from his detention unit at the UN war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands that Jadranka Seselj be the party’s candidate.

Although Mrs Seselj has never engaged in politics, she has frequently sat at her husband’s side during the radicals’ rallies when Seselj was one of the most influential Serbian politicians during the 1990s.

The party said that Mrs Seselj has showed her “courage and sacrifice” since her husband handed himself over to the UN tribunal nine years ago.

“Serbia needs someone who will make sacrifices just like she did during Seselj’s captivity,” the statement said.

UN prosecutors are demanding a 28-year prison sentence for Seselj, who once said he would like to gouge out the eyes of Croats with a rusty spoon.