The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska (RS), Radovan Višković, has urged the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to suspend the ongoing trial against RS President Milorad Dodik. He cautioned that failing to do so would result in the court shouldering the full blame for the potential disintegration of BiH.

“You have a duty to uphold the rights of the various peoples within BiH. If you possess any sense of responsibility or moral integrity, we expect you to terminate this sham court process and facilitate the normal progression and development of BiH. Otherwise, you will be held fully accountable for the impending collapse of BiH,” Višković stated, as reported by the RS Government.

He highlighted that in every nation, courts are required to adhere to the constitution of the respective country where they operate. He warned the Court of BiH against leading the nation and its citizens into a state of legal and security instability with its ruling in the case against Milorad Dodik.

Pointing out that the future of BiH rests in the hands of the Court of BiH, he implored the state court not to allow BiH to unravel as a result of this trial against Dodik.

“Consider the implications of the message you are sending to Serbs in BiH by persistently pursuing a court case that has no basis in contemporary legal practice,” remarked the RS Prime Minister.

He asserted that this trial is not being conducted in accordance with the law but rather under the directives of an illegitimate high representative in BiH, targeting a legitimately elected president of RS and the institutions of RS.

Višković urged the BiH court to regain perspective, labeling the trial against Dodik a coup and an affront to the constitutional order, as well as a violation of the constitution and the rights of the peoples of BiH.

The BiH Prosecutor’s Office and Dodik’s defense are set to present their closing arguments before the Court of BiH tomorrow, after which the court is expected to deliver its verdict within a specified timeframe.

RS President Milorad Dodik faces charges for not executing the decisions of the High Representative in BiH, following his signing of a decree that reinstated two laws previously suspended by Kristijan Šmit.

These laws were passed by the RS National Assembly regarding non-implementation of the High Representative’s decisions and the failure to publish the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH within the territory of that BiH entity.

Alongside Dodik, Miloš Lukić, the acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, who endorsed the publication of the disputed laws, is also facing indictment.

Under amendments to the Criminal Code imposed by the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, non-compliance with the High Representative’s decisions can lead to a prison sentence of up to five years, as well as a prohibition from holding public office.

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