Dodik's lawyer: We will file an appeal with the Constitutional Court of BiH; EU: The verdict is binding and must be respected

The lawyer for the President of Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, Goran Bubić, stated that today the legal team will file an appeal with the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the first-instance verdict against Dodik, as well as requesting a temporary measure to postpone the execution of the verdict until the Constitutional Court of BiH decides on the appeal.

He stated that at around 11 a.m. today, he was informed by the Court of BiH that the first-instance verdict against Dodik had been confirmed and that the appeals of the parties in the proceedings had been rejected.

"We expected justice. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The president's legal team will continue with the available legal means," Bubić said at a press conference in Banja Luka.

He announced that filing an appeal to the Constitutional Court of BiH against the verdict is a prerequisite for Dodik's legal team to address the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Appellate Chamber of the Court of BiH today confirmed the first-instance verdict against the President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik, sentencing him to a year in prison and a six-year ban on holding public office for failing to implement decisions of the High Representative in BiH.

Beta Agency reports that there is no possibility of appealing this verdict.

High Representative in BiH Christian Schmidt told the Detektor portal today that court rulings must be respected.

The Court of BiH informed the CEC about the final verdict

The Court of BiH sent a letter today to the Central Election Commission of BiH (CIK) stating that Dodik has been finally convicted for failing to implement the decisions of the High Representative in BiH, which, among other things, prohibited him from holding the office of president.

Such a procedure is in accordance with the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced the Sarajevo portal Istraga.ba.

Article 203a of the Criminal Code of BiH also addresses the consequences related to "termination of official duty and termination of employment, revocation of decorations, prohibition of performing official duties in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative or any other body that is fully or partially financed from public funds, as well as prohibition of obtaining official duties in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative or any other body that is fully or partially financed from public funds".

EU: Dodik verdict binding, all parties should respect it

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

The EU spokesperson stated in a written statement that the Union takes note of the fact that the Court of BiH has criminally convicted Dodik in the appeal proceedings.

"The verdict is binding and must be respected. The EU calls on all parties to recognize the independence and impartiality of the Court of BiH and to respect and support the verdict it has issued," the EU spokesperson said.

The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina should revoke Dodik's mandate within 15 days, and then call early elections for the president of Republika Srpska within three months.

Dodik said today that he does not accept the verdict, that it was "created by the European Union" and that the Republika Srpska Assembly will decide on it. The parliament had earlier, the day after the first-instance verdict against Dodik, adopted laws banning the operation of the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH in Republika Srpska.