Serb suspect in prison hospital

Vojislav Seselj has been in detention for three years

Hunger-striking Serbian nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj has been transferred to a Dutch prison hospital.

A spokesman for the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague said the move was necessary "for his health to be monitored closely".

Mr Seselj, 52, has been on hunger strike since 10 November.

He is accused of plotting the ethnic cleansing of former Yugoslavia in the 1990s wars. He denies any wrongdoing.

The court spokesman, Refik Hodzic, said on Wednesday that Mr Seselj had "seriously jeopardised his health" through his protest.

Mr Seselj lost the right to conduct his own defence after boycotting the start of his war crimes trial on Monday.

He is currently leader of the Serbian Radical Party, the biggest party in Serbia's parliament.

He is accused of forming a joint criminal enterprise with former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, which led to the extermination and deportation of non-Serbs from Bosnia and Croatia.

He has said he is innocent of all charges.

He has been demanding the right to choose his own stand-by defence lawyer, and unrestricted visits from his wife.

Proceedings have often been delayed because of what the court describes as his disruptive behaviour.