The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has dismissed an appeal by Milorad Dodik, the leader of Bosnian Serbs, against a ruling that bars him from political activities. This decision marks the end of his legal options before the country’s judiciary.
The court’s ruling on Tuesday followed a conviction in February, when a Sarajevo court found Dodik guilty of violating decisions made by the international envoy overseeing Bosnia’s peace agreement. The verdict came months after he refused to comply with directives from Christian Schmidt, the German diplomat responsible for upholding the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the Bosnian War.
Dodik, who previously served as president of Republika Srpska, was sentenced to one year in prison for defying Schmidt. He was also banned from holding public office for six years and stripped of his presidential title. As a pro-Russian nationalist, Dodik has advocated for Republika Srpska to secede and join Serbia.
He initially rejected the ruling and vowed to contest the political ban. The case dates back to July 2023, when Dodik pushed through legislation in the Republika Srpska parliament to block enforcement of any decisions issued by Schmidt. In response, Schmidt used his executive powers to amend Bosnia’s criminal code, introducing a new offense for non-compliance with his rulings — the charge that led to Dodik’s conviction.
In their appeal to the Constitutional Court, Dodik’s legal team argued that Schmidt lacked the authority to amend the criminal code, asserting that only the national parliament had such power. However, the court ruled that these claims were “unfounded,” stating that Dodik’s right to a fair trial was not violated during the proceedings.
Dodik’s legal team has announced plans to escalate the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. No immediate comments were provided by Dodik or his representatives following the ruling.
Last month, the Republika Srpska parliament appointed Ana Trisic Babic as interim president ahead of upcoming elections scheduled for November 23.
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