BEOGRAD 

Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, filed an appeal to the country's constitutional court on Friday to suspend his one-year prison sentence and six-year ban from holding any public office and engaging in political activity following the Central Election Commission decision, removing him from the office after the court verdict.

Last Friday, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Appeals Panel of the Court awarded a one-year prison sentence and a six-year ban on holding political office for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, confirming a February verdict that found him guilty of defying decisions of the Office of the High Representative (OHR).

According to local media, Dodik's legal team filed the petition after he was convicted of "failing to respect the decisions of the Office of the High Representative (OHR)" and subsequently removed from his position.

His lawyers said they have requested interim measures in the plea, noting that the duration of the Constitutional Court proceedings remains unclear.

Bosnian media also pointed out that Dodik, who has repeatedly declared he does not recognize state-level institutions, is now appealing to one of them, highlighting what they described as a contradiction in his stance.

Dodik, known for his separatist rhetoric, has long opposed the OHR, the international institution established under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee civilian implementation of the accord.

He has refused to recognize the authority of the current High Representative Christian Schmidt, and in June 2023, led the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) in adopting a decision to stop publishing the High Representative’s decrees in the entity’s Official Gazette.

Schmidt, who has the authority to impose or annul laws when necessary, rejected the move and annulled the NSRS decision.

Dodik continued to insist that “Republika Srpska will secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” prompting prosecutors to charge him with disregarding OHR decisions.

Following a trial that began in December 2023, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Dodik on Feb. 26 to one year in prison and a six-year ban from political office.

The Appellate Division upheld the verdict on Aug. 1, and on Aug. 6 the Central Election Commission voted unanimously to remove him from office. Dodik has responded by pledging to hold a referendum.