The Bosnian court has sentenced the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, to one year in prison and a six-year ban from holding political office for failing to comply with the decisions of the international community’s High Representative, Christian Schmidt.
The acting director of the entity’s Official Gazette, Miloš Lukić, has been acquitted of all charges.
A protest in support of Dodik was held in Banja Luka in anticipation of the verdict.
Some were seen holding signs reading “President’s sentence, attack on Republika Srpska” and “Srpska is our pride, the president is our protector.”
Dodik was seen entering the building of the People’s Assembly of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka on Wednesday, which was holding a session before the verdict was announced. He had earlier said he would not appear at the verdict before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
After a trial that has lasted more than a year, the Bosnian Court will announce the first-instance verdict, which the Bosnian Prosecution and the defense will have the right to appeal.
Dodik is accused of signing presidential decrees, by which he declared two unconstitutional laws of Republika Srpska valid, which had previously been repealed by the High Representative. These are the laws on the non-implementation of decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the non-implementation of decisions of the High Representative on the territory of Republika Srpska. Lukic is accused of publishing these laws and decrees in the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska.
The Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides for a prison sentence of six months to five years for failure to comply with the decisions of the High Representative, as well as the possibility of dismissal from office and a ban on political activity.
In his closing arguments on February 19, the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office asked the Court to sentence Dodik to five years in prison and ban him from political activity for ten years. The same maximum sentence was also requested by prosecutors for Lukic.
Dodik, in his closing arguments, said that “we must all fight together so that Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer a protectorate, but restores its sovereignty,” repeating long-standing claims that Schmidt lacks legitimacy, as his appointment has not been confirmed by the UN Security Council, as has happened with previous High Representatives./ REL
