Bosnia’s top court upholds political ban on Bosnian Serb leader Dodik

Constitutional Court rejects Milorad Dodik’s appeal, saying the ex-president’s close to a just proceedings was not violated.

The apical tribunal successful Bosnia and Herzegovina has rejected an entreaty by Bosnian Serb person Milorad Dodik against a verdict barring him from politics.

The Constitutional Court’s determination connected Tuesday was Dodik’s past ineligible recourse earlier the country’s judiciary, months aft a Sarajevo tribunal convicted him for refusing to comply with decisions issued by the planetary envoy overseeing the country’s bid deal.

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Dodik, erstwhile president of Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic oregon Republika Srpska, was sentenced successful February to one twelvemonth successful prison for defying Christian Schmidt, the German diplomat liable for safeguarding the 1995 bid accords that ended Bosnia’s 1990s war.

He was besides banned from holding governmental bureau for six years and stripped of his station arsenic president.

Dodik, a pro-Russian nationalist who has pushed for Republika Srpska to interruption distant and articulation Serbia, had rejected the ruling and vowed to situation his governmental ban.

The lawsuit goes backmost to July 2023, erstwhile Dodik pushed done authorities successful the Republika Srpska parliament banning the enforcement of each decisions issued by Schmidt, the planetary envoy.

In response, Schmidt utilized his enforcement powers to amend Bosnia’s transgression code, introducing a new offence for failing to comply with his ain rulings – the complaint nether which Dodik was convicted.

In their Constitutional Court appeal, Dodik’s lawyers argued that Schmidt had nary authorization to intervene successful the transgression code, saying lone the nationalist parliament was empowered to bash so.

But the apical tribunal connected Tuesday ruled that Dodik’s claims challenging Schmidt’s presumption and authorization were “unfounded”.

“The appellant’s close to a just proceedings was not violated successful the transgression proceedings against him,” it said successful a statement.

Dodik’s lawyers person already announced that they would instrumentality the lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights.

Dodik and his ineligible squad did not instantly remark connected Tuesday’s ruling.

Last month, the Republika Srpska parliament appointed Ana Trisic Babic arsenic interim president up of elections scheduled for November 23.