The National Assembly of Republika Srpska has passed a resolution requesting that Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian president of this Serb entity, not respond to a summons issued by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina until he is in good health.
This marks a softening of the previous stance, as the initial draft of the resolution proposed that Dodik should not respond to any court summonses from Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he is being tried for failing to comply with the decisions of the High Representative in the country.
This was one of 12 conclusions approved by the Parliament of Republika Srpska after reviewing the “information on the collapse of the legal order in Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning the violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
Dodik, who recently underwent surgery in Belgrade, was scheduled to appear in court on December 24, but according to his lawyer, the session has been postponed to December 30.
While Dodik’s defense team has argued that he will need several months to recover before he can participate in the trial, the legal expert Haris Vranić, appointed by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has determined that Dodik is capable of attending the hearings.
Currently, Dodik is facing trial for signing a presidential decree validating two laws in the Serb entity that had previously been annulled by the High Representative, Christian Schmidt.
In addition to Dodik, the Prosecutor’s Office has also charged Miloš Lukić, the acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, for facilitating the publication of Dodik’s decree.
The decree relates to amendments to the Law on the Publication of Laws and Other Regulations in Republika Srpska and the Law on Decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that are not applicable.
Among the conclusions adopted by the Parliament of Republika Srpska was the demand that Serb representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions suspend decision-making until the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Office of the State Prosecutor suspend the “politically motivated” process against Dodik and Lukić.
However, there will be no blockages “if decisions are made regarding the transfer of jurisdiction from the Republika Srpska level to the Bosnia and Herzegovina level.”
The representatives of Republika Srpska in these institutions were also asked to suspend decision-making related to European integration until the conditions for the continuation of this process “in accordance with the principles of democracy and the rule of law” are met.
The parliamentary majority also condemned the “interference” of the Office of the State Prosecutor of Bosnia in the work of the Parliament of Republika Srpska, stating that decisions made by this Parliament can only be reviewed by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia.
Before the special plenary session began, the Office of the Prosecutor requested information under Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Criminal Procedure Code, concerning suspicions that several criminal offenses had been committed, including “conspiracy to commit a criminal act,” “preparation to commit a criminal act,” and “attack on the constitutional order.”
In his speech before the Parliament, the head of the institution, Nenad Stevandić, stated that the Prosecutor’s response was based on “lies.”
Other conclusions approved included statements that the Parliament of Republika Srpska “remains committed to respecting territorial integrity and the division of sovereignty between entities according to Dayton,” but the High Representative, the Constitutional Court, and the Prosecutor’s Office were accused of violating the Dayton Agreement.
Representatives of the ruling party stated that the violation of the Dayton Agreement “culminated in the politically motivated trial against the President of Republika Srpska.” According to them, “this trial is the result of U.S. sanctions against Dodik.”
Since 2017, Dodik has been under U.S. sanctions for obstructing or threatening to obstruct the Dayton Peace Agreement.
In 2022, additional sanctions were imposed on him, accusing Dodik of direct or indirect involvement in the violation, obstruction, or threat to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, as well as for corrupt activities. /REL
