Russia informed the members of the UN Security Council about the “threats to stability“ in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have arisen after the verdict against the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, the Anadolu Agency and the Bosnian edition of En1 reported. This was stated by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Dmitry Polyanski, BTA reports.
In a conversation with reporters after closed consultations, Polyanski stressed that Dodik is “processed“ because of decisions of the “illegitimate High Representative” Christian Schmitt. "He (Schmidt) is not legitimate because he has not been approved by Republika Srpska, as he should have been, nor by the UN Security Council," Polyanski explained.
The Russian diplomat added that the High Representative's actions have a "certain history" and that Moscow had warned that they "could potentially lead the country into trouble." He described Dodik's prosecution as a "threat to the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina" and said that Russia had decided to draw the Security Council's attention to this "very regrettable development."
Milorad Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban on holding political office by the Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for disobeying the High Representative's decisions. The sentence is related to his refusal to implement decisions aimed at preventing the entry into force of two Republika Srpska laws in July 2023, which Dodik signed.
The High Representative had previously amended the country's Criminal Code, criminalizing the failure to implement his decisions.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a decision to revoke Dodik's presidential mandate under the Election Law, which provides for the termination of the mandate in the event of a final conviction with imprisonment for more than six months.
Dodik has the right to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnian Serb leader rejected the CEC's decision and announced a referendum in Republika Srpska, in which citizens would decide whether he should remain president.
The Republika Srpska Parliament will consider Dodik's proposal to hold a referendum today.