Regarding the marking of January 9th as the Day of the RepublikaSrpska (RS), even though the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) declared that date unconstitutional, member of the BiH Presidency Denis Becirovic stated that the fundamental obligation of all government bodies is to respect the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of BiH, which includes full compliance with the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH.
He noted that non-compliance with these decisions constitutes a criminal offense under the Criminal Code of BiH, emphasizing the importance of judicial institutions and law enforcement agencies reacting promptly and taking necessary measures within their jurisdiction.
“The Constitutional Court of BiH determined that January 9th, as a holiday in the BiH entity of RS, does not reflect the shared values of all peoples and citizens, meaning it does not represent a symbol of collective shared memory, as it symbolizes only one, the Serbian people, and was adopted without the consent of other peoples and citizens,” said Becirovic.
He added that the BiH entity of RS has existed within the state of BiH since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement and that the Constitution of BiH clearly stipulates that only the state of BiHhas continuity.
“Entities do not have continuity, and no marking of illegal holidays can change that fact. The uncivilized policy of dividing the BiH peoples and the attempt to create a para-state on the territory of BiH were in complete contradiction with the domestic legal system and provisions of international law. This policy resulted in crimes against humanity and other war crimes, culminating in 1995 with the genocide against Bosniaks,” Becirovic emphasized.
He pointed out that these are indisputable legal facts established by the rulings of the highest courts of the United Nations (UN).
“The government bodies of neighboring Serbia, instead of flagrantly interfering in the internal affairs of the state of BiH and undermining the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, are obligated to respect the Dayton Peace Agreement. Any other behavior by Serbian officials constitutes a violation of international law and the fundamental values upon which the European Union (EU) is founded,” Becirovic stated, according to a statement from the BiH Presidency.
