Bosnia appeals court upholds Bosnian Serb leader’s sentence

Milorad Dodik rejects appeals court’s decision, saying helium volition question assistance of Russia and the Trump administration.

An appeals tribunal successful Bosnia has upheld an earlier ruling sentencing Bosnian Serb person Milorad Dodik to 1 twelvemonth successful situation and banning him from authorities for six years implicit his separatist actions, which acceptable disconnected tensions successful the Balkan country.

Dodik rejected the tribunal ruling connected Friday, telling reporters that helium volition proceed to enactment arsenic the Bosnian Serb president arsenic agelong arsenic helium has the enactment of the Bosnian Serb parliament.

“I bash not judge the verdict,” helium said. “I volition question assistance from Russia and I volition constitute a missive to the US administration.”

A Sarajevo tribunal successful February sentenced the president of Republika Srpska – the taste Serb portion of Bosnia – to a twelvemonth successful situation for failing to comply with rulings by the planetary envoy overseeing Bosnia’s 1995 bid accords.

It besides banned him from holding bureau for six years.

The conviction led to uproar successful Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic, triggering Bosnia’s worst governmental situation since the struggle successful the aboriginal 1990s, which killed astir 100,000 radical betwixt 1992 and 1995.

Dodik has rejected the proceedings and his condemnation arsenic “political”.

In response, the parliament successful Republika Srpska passed a instrumentality prohibiting the cardinal constabulary and judicial authorities from operating successful the Serb entity. Bosnia’s law tribunal annulled those laws successful May.

On Friday, the European Union said successful a little connection that the appeals court’s “verdict is binding and indispensable beryllium respected”.

“The EU calls connected each parties to admit the independency and impartiality of the court, and to respect and uphold its verdict,” the bloc said.

Dodik’s lawyer Goran Bubic said his squad would entreaty Friday’s ruling to the law tribunal and question a impermanent hold of the implementation of the verdict pending its decision.

Dodik has repeatedly called for the separation of the Serb-run fractional of Bosnia to articulation Serbia, which prompted the medication of erstwhile United States President Joe Biden to impose sanctions against him and his allies successful 2022.

The Bosnian Serb person was besides accused of corruption and pro-Russia policies.