A Serb nationalist charged with war crimes in The Hague was convicted of contempt of court on Friday for revealing the identity of three protected witnesses, and sentenced to 15 months jail.
 

Vojislav Seselj, leader of Serbia's ultranationalist Radical Party, became the first suspect charged with contempt of court while on trial for war crimes.
 

Seselj was accused of knowingly revealing the identity of three protected witnesses by publishing information about them in a book he admitted authoring.
 

"The chamber notes with grave concern the deliberate way in which the protective measure decisions imposed by the Seselj trial chamber were defied," presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said.
 

He added it was a serious interference affecting the confidence witnesses have in the tribunal's protective measures.
 

In his defence, Seselj produced five press articles he said had identified the protected witnesses prior to the publication of his book.
 

But the court rejected the claim, ruling that the press articles produced by the accused had not referred to the witnesses and had not contained references to their pseudonyms.
 

Seselj's trial for war crimes had been suspended in February after prosecutors said the case was compromised by threats against a witness. It is not yet known when it will resume.
 

Source: Reuters