<div><p>THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The warcrimes trial of Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj resumed on Tuesday after a year's delay, with witnesses testifying behind closed doors to protect their identity, an issue that has dogged the trial.</p><p>Seselj faces life in prison if convicted of inciting violence against Bosnians and Croatians in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s while head of the Serbian Radical Party.</p><p>He has pleaded not guilty to 15 counts for crimes committed between 1991 and 1993, including torture, murder and forced deportation of non-Serbs by his party's militia.</p><p>The trial, which began in late 2007 at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, was halted nearly a year ago after prosecutors said the case had been compromised by threats against a witness.</p><p>In the latest twist in the case, six witnesses said they now wanted to testify on behalf of the defense -- instead of the prosecution. They will now be called by the judges hearing the case, rather than by the defense or the prosecution.</p><p>The trial is expected end this year after judges call the six witnesses, with the judges to hand down their verdict after several months' deliberation.</p><p>Seselj was sentenced to 15 months in prison in July 2009 by the tribunal for contempt of court after he disclosed the identity of three protected witnesses in a book he admitted authoring. He will start serving his term after the current trial ends.</p><p>Ahead of Tuesday's witness testimony, Seselj made several requests of the court, including permission to address the Serbian public this month ahead of a regional election there.</p><p>"Over these seven years I have had a great many problems in my profession, in my active pursuit of political life," Seselj, who surrendered to the court in 2003, told the judges.</p><p>"I'm very very interested in the outcome of these elections... I would like to address the public and present my political views that are important for me and my political party, the Serb Radical Party," he said.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66767499&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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