US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed that the actions taken by Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republika Srpska (RS), are detrimental to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and pose risks to its security and stability.

“Our government urges political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in constructive and responsible dialogue. We encourage our partners in the region to join us in denouncing this perilous and destabilizing behavior,” Rubio stated on the social media platform X.

The US Secretary of State’s remarks follow Dodik’s recent declarations from March 5, where he proclaimed unconstitutional laws passed by the RS National Assembly that barred the operations of various state institutions, including the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, as well as the Investigation and Protection Agency – SIPA BiH and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of BiH.

On March 7, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a temporary order halting the enforcement of these laws.

The BiH Court, Prosecutor’s Office, and SIPA were established under laws enacted by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and confirmed by the state House of Peoples. According to the BiH Constitution, any abolition of these entities must be enacted by the BiH Parliament.

The RS assembly passed these laws on February 27th, shortly after Dodik received a first-instance verdict sentencing him to a year in prison and prohibiting him from holding office for six years.

The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has been investigating potential “attacks on the constitutional order” since December 2024.

The Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina mandates penalties of up to five years in prison and bans on public office for those who “illegally attempt to alter the constitutional order of BiH or overthrow its highest institutions.”

Dodik has previously been convicted for disregarding decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt and for signing a decree enacting laws that Schmidt had annulled, which sought to obstruct the implementation of decisions from the Constitutional Court of BiH and the High Representative within the RS.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also mandated a temporary measure against the enforcement of the Law on the Special Register and Transparency of Non-Profit Organizations. This request was initiated by Kemal Ademović, Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This newly adopted law in the RS Parliament imposes stringent regulations on the civil sector, mirroring legislation from Russia.

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