SARAJEVO, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Appellate Division Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Friday upheld a one-year prison sentence for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, confirming his conviction for refusing to implement decisions issued by the High Representative in BiH.
Dodik was accused of knowingly defying decisions issued by Bosnia's High Representative, Christian Schmidt, in 2023. The ruling follows a public hearing held on June 12, during which both the prosecution and defense filed appeals. The court rejected both appeals and upheld the initial verdict. The decision is final and cannot be challenged further.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a six-year ban on Dodik from holding the office of President of Republika Srpska, effective from the date the verdict becomes final. The incarceration period will not be counted toward the duration of the ban.
In the same case, Milos Lukic, acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, was acquitted of identical charges. The court found no legal basis for his conviction and upheld the initial not-guilty verdict.
Following the ruling, Dodik described the court's decision as "political" and "a direct attack on Republika Srpska." He argued that the Court of BiH serves "the political will of Sarajevo and Muslim political structures," and called the move "an obvious attempt to eliminate the Serb political factor from Bosnia and Herzegovina."
Dodik emphasized that the ruling does not prohibit him from remaining president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), his party. He announced plans to return to elections with a new platform after the ban expires, depending on the outcome of future political consultations.
Once again denying the legitimacy of the Office of High Representative (OHR) and its leader, Schmidt, he told supporters that "not a single bullet will be fired" and stressed that "the greatest strength is the strength of unity."
The OHR, an international body established under the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-1995 war, holds sweeping "Bonn powers" that allow the High Representative to impose laws and dismiss officials in BiH. However, since taking office in 2021, Schmidt has frequently applied "Bonn powers" to impose legal changes, drawing criticism in BiH.
Dodik has served as the president of Republika Srpska from 2022 to 2025, and was the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2018 to 2022.
BiH Presidency member and SNSD Vice President Zeljka Cvijanovic also criticized the court's decision, calling it "political." RS National Assembly President Nenad Stevandic said they would continue to win "with the support of the people and institutions."
Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two autonomous entities: Republika Srpska, with a predominantly Serbian population, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats. The two entities operate under a weak central government. Enditem
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