Mr Tarculovski fought Albanian rebels in northern Macedonia

Johan Tarculovski, 30, faces charges over the deaths in 2001 of ethnic Albanians in the village of Ljuboten, near Macedonia's capital, Skopje.

Mr Tarculovski worked for ex-Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski, also facing charges, during a six-month rebellion by Macedonia's ethnic Albanians.

During the conflict he ran a private police unit loyal only to Mr Boskovski.

Mr Tarculovski is accused of murder, wanton destruction and cruel treatment in relation to the attack on Ljuboten by his paramilitary group, known as the Lions.

His former boss, Mr Boskovski, pleaded not guilty to all charges facing him earlier in April.

During Macedonia's six-month insurgency in 2001 the country's nationalist government fought to suppress guerrillas from the country's ethnic Albanian militias.

Mediation by Nato and the European Union stopped the fighting, leading to the 2001 Ohrid peace accord and an increase in autonomy for the Albanian minority.

Mr Tarculovski and Mr Boskovski were the last two men to be indicted by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague over alleged atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia.

The court is due to wind down proceedings in 2008 and plans to bring no more fresh charges.