The legal representative for the President of Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, Goran Bubić, announced that the legal team plans to file an appeal today with the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the initial verdict against Dodik, while also requesting a temporary measure to suspend the execution of the verdict until the Constitutional Court makes a decision on the appeal.

Bubić reported that at approximately 11 a.m. today, he was informed by the Court of BiH that the initial verdict against Dodik had been upheld and that the appeals from the parties involved had been rejected.

“We anticipated justice. Unfortunately, we were mistaken. The president’s legal team will pursue all available legal avenues,” Bubić stated during a press conference in Banja Luka.

He mentioned that appealing to the Constitutional Court of BiH against the verdict is a necessary step for Dodik’s legal team to approach the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Today, the Appellate Chamber of the Court of BiH upheld the first-instance verdict against RS President Milorad Dodik, sentencing him to one year in prison and imposing a six-year ban on holding public office for failing to comply with the decisions of the High Representative in BiH.

According to Beta Agency, there is no option to appeal this verdict.

High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, informed the Detektor portal that judicial rulings must be honored.

The Court of BiH Notified the CEC About the Final Verdict

The Court of BiH has sent a letter today to the Central Election Commission of BiH (CIK) indicating that Dodik has been definitively convicted for not implementing the decisions of the High Representative in BiH, which includes a prohibition on holding the presidential office.

This procedure aligns with the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reported by the Sarajevo portal Istraga.ba.

Article 203a of the Criminal Code of BiH addresses consequences such as “termination of official duty and employment, revocation of honors, and prohibition of serving in any legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other entity funded fully or partially by public funds.”

EU: Dodik Verdict is Binding, Respect Required from All Parties

The European Union (EU) today stated that the final verdict against Dodik must be respected and called upon all parties to acknowledge the independence and impartiality of the Court of BiH that issued it.

The EU spokesperson issued a written statement acknowledging that the Court of BiH has criminally convicted Dodik in the appellate process.

“The verdict is binding and must be respected. The EU urges all parties to recognize the independence and impartiality of the Court of BiH and to respect and support its issued verdict,” the spokesperson added.

The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to revoke Dodik’s mandate within 15 days and subsequently call for early elections for the president of Republika Srpska within three months.

Dodik declared today that he does not accept the verdict, claiming it was “fabricated by the European Union,” and stated that the Republika Srpska Assembly will make a decision regarding it. Previously, the assembly adopted laws banning the operations of the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH in Republika Srpska following the initial verdict against Dodik.

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