Today, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to deliver verdicts against Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, and Miloš Lukić, the acting director of the Official Gazette for that Bosnian entity. Both are facing charges for allegedly undermining the decisions issued by the High Representative of the international community, Kristijan Šmit.

After a trial that spanned over a year, the Court of BiH will deliver first-instance verdicts, which can be appealed by both the BiH Prosecutor’s Office and the defense.

Dodik is accused of signing presidential decrees that validated two unconstitutional laws of the RS, which were previously annulled by the High Representative. These laws pertain to the non-implementation of decisions from the Constitutional Court of BiH and those related to the High Representative regarding the RS territory. Lukić faces charges for publishing these laws and decrees in the RS Official Gazette.

The BiH Criminal Code prescribes a prison sentence ranging from six months to five years for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative, along with potential removal from office and a ban on future political activity.

During closing arguments on February 19, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office urged the Court to impose a five-year prison sentence on Dodik and a ten-year ban on political activities, seeking the same maximum sentence for Lukić.

In his concluding remarks, Dodik emphasized the need for a collective effort to restore Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, reiterating claims that Schmidt lacks legitimacy due to his appointment not being ratified by the United Nations Security Council, unlike other high representatives.

The trial of Dodik and Lukić began on February 5, 2024, and featured accusations from the defense of bias from the Court of BiH, as well as requests to relocate the trial to the Banja Luka court.

Each hearing saw a significant turnout of Dodik’s supporters from across BiH, who claimed to gather voluntarily outside the Court of BiH building in Sarajevo.

As the verdict approaches, pressure on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has escalated. The leadership in RS threatened to take “radical actions” and withdraw from all Bosnian institutions if Dodik is found guilty.

The day preceding the verdict, a supportive rally took place in Banja Luka, with plans for another rally today.

On February 24, the RS Government issued a report titled “Information on the Subversion of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Measures and Tasks Aimed at Protecting the Constitution of BiH,” which was submitted to the Assembly of that entity.

This report indicated that the RS would pursue political and legal measures “if the legal violence against the RS continues and there is no political will or international support to restore BiH to its foundations and uphold the Dayton Constitution and its laws.”

News