In his appearance before judges in early September, Seselj used the possibility of delaying his plea for 30 days, only to refuse to enter it today. A plea of not guilty was eventually entered in his file on the order of the presiding judge.
The amended indictment, confirmed on 15 July, did not add any new counts but broadened factual allegations contained in the existing 14 counts of the indictment.
Seselj is additionally charged with persecution of Croats and Bosnian Muslims because he allegedly used hate speech in Vukovar, Croatia, in November 1991, in Mali Zvornik, Serbia, in March 1992 and in Hrtkovci, Vojvodina, in May 1992.
He is also charged with grave crimes against Bosnian Muslims and Croats committed in the general area of Sarajevo (Ilijas, Vogosca, Novo Sarajevo, Ilidza and Rajlovac), Bijeljina, Mostar, Nevesinje and Brcko.
According to the amended indictment, Seselj participated in the extermination and killing of many Croat, Muslim and non-Serb civilians, including women, children and elderly persons, in those areas.
Seselj and his paramilitary unit are additionally accused of killing over 500 Bosnian Muslims, Croats and other non-Serbs in the areas of Zvornik, Sarajevo, Bijeljina, Mostar and Nevesinje in 1992/93.
Seselj, the leader of the largest opposition party in Serbia, has been in the custody of the ICTY since his voluntary surrender on 24 February 2004.