Milorad Dodik: Verdict complaints, a decision of the Appellate Court – BBC News in Serbian

One of the largest political crises in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the bloody war in 1995. she has not yet received a court epilogue.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina completed the discussion in the second instance case against Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of this Balkan country.

Dodik in February 2025 sentenced to the year of prison and six years of banning the duties of the President due to the signing of the notice of the laws, which are rejected by the competencies and laws of the international community in Bosnia, Christian Schmith

The prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested a strict prison sentence in the appeal, and Defenders of Dodik, who did not attend the hearing, abolition or acquittal.

At the judgment of the Court of Appeals will be waiting for another month.

« Sometimes it can be within 30 days, and sometimes it can take months, depending on the complexity of the case, » explains the lawyer Goran Dragović for the BBC.

The RS authorities are not recognized by the Practice for the legal international representative because, as they say, it is not appointed by the United Nations Security Council.

Although Dodik first said that he would not appeal to the court, he has now changed the opinion, claiming that it is still so that the constitutional Court of BiH can be later addressed, and then the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The procedure against him is directed against Republika Srpska, Dodik said the appellate discussion.

« It’s all politically mounted. That’s why it gives me a new strength and motivates me to fight injustice, » said Dodik in the interview with Radio and Television of Serbia.

The Defense expects a release verdict, because « there are all conditions, » Dodik’s lawyer Goran Bubić said.

« At the time of signing the decree, the non-performance of the High Representative decisions did not exist as a criminal offense, » Bubić said.

The prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested a strict imprisonment in the appeal and stronger security measures in terms of prohibition of official duty.

« The amount of the sentence is not well measured. As a mitigating circumstance, the Court appreciated the lesson, but did not take into account the manner of execution, » Prosecutor Gordana Bosiljčić said.

After the first-instance judgment, the Assembly of the Republika Srpska, in which most of the Dodik’s party (the Party of Independent Social Democrats – SNSD), adopted a number of laws to be confiscated by the competencies of the state.

They prohibit the work of the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, the State Agency for Investigation and Protection (SIPA) on the territory of RS, but are the recent decision of the Constitutional Court, these laws are put out of force.

Due to the adoption of the disputed laws, the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has previously launched an investigation against Dodik, Radovan Višković, Prime Minister RS, and Nenad Stevandić, President of the RS Assembly.

They did not respond to the Prosecution’s invitation to give a statement, so they were determined by one-month detention.

The Republika Srpska Police, however, refuses to bring the three officials, so the internal warrant was announced.

Interpol rejected the request of the Court of BiH for announcing an international warrant.

By law, any of the 16 police agencies in BiH should arrest Dodik, but he did not cross the entity line.

It could also arrest BiH border police.

Although according to their data, Dodik did not cross the border, after determining detention, he was in Hungary, Serbia and Russiawhere he was on marking 80 years of victory over Nazism and fascism.

Members of SIPA are at the end of April tried – Failed – to handle the arrest warrant Dodik in East Sarajevo, part of the capital of BiH, majority settled in Serbs.

The SIPA violated the law, has no right to act on the territory of RS, said Dodik.

The seat of the SIPA is just in East Sarajevo, only a few hundred meters from the line that separates the two entities – the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska.

« The decision to announce the pursuit and determination of detention is made by the competent court, ie the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina », briefly responded from the BBC Prosecutor’s Office.

The court said for the BBC that they could not comment on the case while in progress.

For non-functionality of police agencies in this case, the authorities and leaders at the state level are subordinate to police, intelligence and military waits, Denis Hadžović, president of the Center for Security Studies from Sarajevo.

« The rule of law in BiH seriously has been imposed and the laws are not worth the same for all citizens, ie that individuals are privileged thanks to political functions, » says Hajjovic for BBC.

The BBC in Serbian is from now on and on the morning, follow us Here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Jutjubu and Vajiberu. If you have a topic suggestion for us please contact (Email Protected)