Dodik banned from entering Slovenia

Slovenia has imposed sanctions and banned the ousted President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, from entering the country.

According to information from Slovenian N1, the Government confirmed the ban on Dodik's entry into Slovenia at today's session, and the material was prepared by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MZEZ).

The Council of Ministers considered the starting points for banning Dodik from entering Slovenia two weeks ago, but then ordered the Ministry of Environment, Health and Social Affairs to supplement the material before the government's decision.

There are several reasons why Slovenia imposed sanctions on Dodik. In addition to the ruling of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which Dodik does not respect in the part about stepping down from the position of President of Republika Srpska, there are also his separatist aspirations, as well as undermining state institutions and the constitution of BiH.

An important reason is also "the well-founded suspicion that Dodik and his family members in Slovenia, through various individuals and companies, own significant assets acquired in a controversial manner."

According to unofficial information, there are at least five properties on the Slovenian coast whose formal owners are relatives and friends of the Dodik family, and one of those properties is a luxury villa in Portorož.

The villa in Portorož is owned by Đorđe Đurić, who is the son-in-law of Dodik's son Igor, and since last year he himself, along with Igor, has been on the US Treasury Department's sanctions list.

"We will continue to expose the fraudulent schemes that allow Milorad Dodik and his family to exploit their own people for personal gain," the US Treasury Department said when imposing sanctions against Đurić.

They also added that Milorad Dodik is abusing his official position to direct state affairs into a network of private companies controlled by him and his son Igor, and it is Igor, with the help of "owners and directors" he trusts, who oversees the functioning of that network.

In addition to the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Lithuania have already imposed entry bans and asset freezes against Dodik, his family, and some other high-ranking officials of Republika Srpska.