The participants of an international scientific conference organized by the Serbian opposition Radical Party (SRS) called Saturday in Belgrade for the release of SRS President Vojislav Seselj, who has been in custody at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for the past eight years.

SRS Vice-President Dragan Todorovic told more than 4,000 SRS supporters the ICTY tyranny must stop and that Seselj has to be released.

Only Seselj is able to initiate major changes in Serbia, Todorovic said.

President of the Russian Committee for Seselj's Defense Sergei Baburin said that that body has decided to propose to ICTY to release Seselj with guarantees after the prosecution completes the presentation of evidence in the begining of March, but that Serbian leadership should also provide guarantees for the SRS leader.

The conference was attended by representatives of all Russian parliamentary parties.

Seselj is on trial for crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war in Croatia, Vojvodina and Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1991 to 1993.

In January 2009, he was additionally charged with contempt of the court for disclosing the names and other personal details of three witnesses whose identity had to be protected.

Seselj surrendered voluntarily to the Tribunal in February 2003 and his trial began in November 2007.