Dodik won't go to jail if he pays

"As of today, there is no more Bosnia and Herzegovina. I need the support of the people and I will go all the way," Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik told supporters gathered in Banja Luka after the Court of First Instance of BiH sentenced him to a year in prison and banned him from serving as President of RS for six years for failing to implement decisions by the High Representative of the International Community in BiH, Kristijan Šmit.

The second defendant, Miloš Lukić, acting director of the Official Gazette, was acquitted of the charges.

"I was sentenced to a year for their s...a. There is no reason to worry. I have learned to deal with more difficult things," said Dodik in his first reaction after the verdict was pronounced.

He has two weeks to appeal the verdict, which will become final once the appeal process is complete. Neither he nor his lawyers were present in court yesterday.

If Dodik is finally sentenced to a one-year prison sentence, he will no longer be able to run for any public office, as this is prohibited by the BiH Election Law, which states that "an official who has been finally sentenced to a prison sentence of more than six months cannot be a candidate for public office."

If his sentence is confirmed, Dodik will be able to avoid going to prison, as a sentence of up to one year can be replaced with a fine at the request of the convicted person. According to the current law, Dodik will be able to redeem his prison sentence for 36.000 KM (about 18.600 euros).

Dodik, who has long called for the separation of RS and its unification with Serbia, said that he spoke yesterday with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian President Viktor Orban and that they "made fun of those in Sarajevo."

"Let Vučić come to Banja Luka so we can agree on what we will do and how we will do it," said Dodik, announcing that the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska (NARS) would make a decision to "reject the process in the Court of BiH" where he was convicted.

He also announced the adoption of a law banning the work of the Prosecutor's Office on the territory of the RS, banning the implementation of decisions of the Court of BiH in the RS, and banning the work of the High Prosecutorial Council of BiH (HJPC) on the territory of that entity of BiH, as well as the formation of the HJPC RS.

"The fourth law is on the prohibition of the activities of the BiH Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in the territory of Republika Srpska. The next law is the law on the prohibition of the activities of the Intelligence Service (OBA) in the territory of Republika Srpska," Dodik listed.

At an emergency session chaired by Vučić, the Serbian National Security Council condemned the "undemocratic, uncivilized, and illegal verdict" against Dodik, assessing that this is "the biggest crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the war."

"This crisis is the result of a general attack by Sarajevo and the West on RS, with the aim of its redefinition and disappearance. We call for unity and togetherness of the entire Serbian people and all political parties in both RS and Serbia," said Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić after the Council session.

Vučić said last night that the verdict against Dodik is aimed at destroying the RS and undermining the position of the Serbian people.

"On the plane on the way to Banja Luka after the shameful verdict against Milorad Dodik, which is illegal, anti-democratic and aimed at destroying the RS and undermining the positions of the Serbian people," Vučić said in a video message posted on his Instagram. He added that Serbia's obligation is to stand by the RS and that it will try to "influence the decisions that are made to calm the situation."

Orban said that the verdict against Dodik was a "political witch hunt."

"The political witch hunt against President Milorad Dodik is a sad example of the weaponization of the legal system aimed at a democratically elected leader. If we want to preserve stability in the Western Balkans, this is not the way forward!" Orban wrote on the X network.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the verdict against Dodik "will have catastrophic consequences for the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region."

"We warn foreign participants in the post-conflict resolution process in BiH, countries in the region and the entire world community: If a verdict of guilt is reached, then catastrophic consequences for the situation in BiH and the Balkans as a whole are inevitable," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

They added that "the accusations against the legitimately elected President of the RS, and in fact against the entire Serbian people, are based on the provisions of a pseudo-law that was arbitrarily imposed on sovereign BiH by the self-proclaimed High Representative Christian Schmidt, clearly outside the legal framework."

The Russian Ministry assessed that the process against Dodik is "purely political in nature, inspired by the West, which, through the hands of its puppets in the Bosnian and Herzegovina judicial system, hopes to remove from the political scene the patriotic forces of Republika Srpska that are resisting Euro-Atlantic neo-colonialism."

The Court of BiH has announced that it makes decisions based on the law and evidence, not on external pressure, as such an attempt would represent an attack on the Court's independent position.

"Therefore, the Court acts exclusively in accordance with legal provisions, protecting the rule of law, the impartiality of the Court and the work of the judiciary," the statement said.

They stated that the criminal proceedings against Dodik related to an individual, "not to a function or institution."

Christian Schmidt met with NATO Commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina Matthew Wallace yesterday in Sarajevo.

"A substantive discussion on the current political and security situation in BiH and the Western Balkans region. A safe and secure environment is crucial for prosperity and development," Schmidt said after the meeting, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) announced.

At the sessions of the RS National Assembly in June 2023, unconstitutional laws were passed stating that the legal acts of the High Representative would not be published in the RS Official Gazette, and that the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which are final and binding under the Constitution of BiH, would not be applied on the territory of RS.

On July 1, 2023, Schmidt used the Bonn powers to repeal two entity laws and introduce amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, making failure to implement the High Representative's decisions a criminal offense.

On July 7, 2023, Dodik signed decrees declaring these laws valid, and they were published in the Official Gazette of the RS.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Dodik and Lukić on August 11th, and the court confirmed it on September 11th.

EUFOR: No actions that would indicate a breach of peace

The EUFOR Commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Major General Florian Marinan Barbu, stated yesterday in Sarajevo that EUFOR is closely monitoring the situation in BiH following the Dodik verdict and that, apart from statements by representatives of the RS authorities, there are no indications or concrete actions that would indicate a violation of peace and security in the country.

After meeting with BiH Defense Minister Zukan Helez, Barbu also said that EUFOR forces are adequately prepared for current security challenges, and that they have sufficient capacities - both those stationed in BiH and reserve forces ready for rapid reaction.

"EUFOR acts impartially, fully respecting its mandate. We continue to carry out our mission and be present wherever needed," he said.