The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal Wednesday postponed the trial of Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj, saying he may need more time to prepare his defense.

Seselj has pleaded innocent to charges linked to the 1991 massacre of at least 255 non-Serbs at a farm near the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar, and other incidents.

The U.N. court's appeals chamber said in an order that "the trial chamber is presently not in a position to know whether the accused can fairly be expected to begin to defend himself at trial starting on the scheduled trial date" of Nov. 2. No new date was set.

Judges also ordered the court to appoint a lawyer to assist Seselj, should he need help, or to take over questioning of witnesses "in the event of abusive behavior by the accused."

In August, judges ruled that a court-appointed lawyer should lead Seselj's defense in a bid to cut down on what they called his "obstructionist and disruptive behavior," included demanding the removal of judges' red-trimmed robes because they reminded Seselj of medieval inquisitors.

The tribunal has been moving to speed up proceedings as it prepares to close in coming years and following criticism that the case against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic dragged on too long. Milosevic, who died in March before his trial was concluded, also acted as his own defense lawyer and repeatedly clashed with judges, who warned him against politicking in the courtroom.

Prosecutors, who say they expect to take six months to present evidence against Seselj, allege that he was part of a criminal plot aimed at driving non-Serbs out of parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

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