Bosnian Serb president criticizes EU ‘attack’ after judicial verdict
(MENAFN) Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, has condemned the European Union for what he calls an attack on his entity after a Bosnian appeals court upheld a prison sentence and a ban on his political activities.
Dodik was initially sentenced in February to one year in prison and barred from holding political office for six years for defying rulings from Bosnia’s Constitutional Court and ignoring the authority of the international overseer, Christian Schmidt. Schmidt, a German national, leads the Office of the High Representative (OHR), tasked with enforcing the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. Dodik has long criticized the OHR for overstepping its mandate and undermining Republika Srpska’s autonomy.
The Sarajevo court ruled that Dodik acted unlawfully by enacting legislation that nullified the peace envoy’s decrees and suspended enforcement of Constitutional Court decisions within Republika Srpska. Dodik rejected the verdict and vowed to remain in office, calling the decision a political attack on Republika Srpska.
He accused the EU of orchestrating the ruling as a show of power amid broader failures on issues like the Ukraine conflict and US tariffs, pledging to seek support from Serbia, Russia, and the US.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two entities—the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska—and governed by a tripartite presidency under the OHR’s supervision. The country gained EU candidate status in 2022.
Dodik opposes Bosnia’s EU and NATO integration, favoring stronger ties with Russia and suggesting that Bosnia might benefit from joining BRICS. Moscow has condemned Dodik’s conviction as politically motivated and illegitimate, questioning the OHR’s authority, noting Schmidt’s appointment lacked UN Security Council approval.
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