A court in Serbia has fined an independent newspaper thirty-eight thousand dollars for libel against the nationalist deputy prime minister, Vojislav Seselj.

The paper, Glas javnosti, printed an interview with a Serbian judge Radomir Vujacicwho said that certain leading members of Mr Seselj's Radical Party were passing government information to Albanian separatists in Kosovo.

Citing a strict new law which bans articles or reports considered to undermine Serbia's constitutional order or integrity, the magistrate said Mr Seselj's personal rights had been violated.

This is the fourth such fine against the media since the law -- which correspondents say is an attempt to silence critics of its policy on Kosovo -- was introduced last month.