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Serbian Nationalist Seselj Barred From Entering Kosovo


Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj
Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj

Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj has been declared a persona non-grata in Kosovo and banned from entering the country, just days after he was acquitted on war crime charges.

Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina reacted with dismay to the acquittal of Seselj by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on March 31.

Seselj was found not guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Hours after the acquittal Croatia banned Seselj from entering the country, while Bosnia-Herzegovina said it was considering a similar measure.

Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs Petrit Selimi told the AFP news agency that "Seselj's entry is not allowed for reasons that are tragically clear for the thousands of victims of his lethal words and deeds in the Balkans."

Seselj, who plans to stand in Serbia's April 24 parliamentary elections, has said he wants to visit Serb-populated areas in northern Kosovo.

Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL's Balkan Service

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