The lawyer of the President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik, Goran Bubic, said that he was sorry because the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) did not allow Dodik’s defense to Dodik’s free dates for the continuation of the main trial.
Bubic points out that, for yesterday’s postponement of the hearing, evidence was submitted about Dodik’s absence, with a note about “numerous obligations that lie ahead in the coming period”. He believes that it was important for the Court to give the defense an opportunity to adjust the dates.
“The Court of BiH did not give the defense an opportunity to coordinate the dates, and I am very sorry,” Bubic stated.
It should be recalled that the Court of BiH accepted the request of Milorad Dodik’s defense to postpone yesterday’s hearing due to the president’s trip to Hungary. The lawyer submitted a request for the postponement of the hearing scheduled for November 22nd, arguing that it was due to Dodik’s scheduled meetings in Hungary.
The announcement of the hearing, which was recorded on the official website of the Court of BiH, was removed, and at the same time, a notice of postponement was published on the website of the court.
The indictment accuses Milorad Dodik and Milos Lukic of disobeying the decisions of High Representative Christian Schmidt. Although this criminal offense is punishable by half a year to five years in prison, many are already speculating about the possibility of imposing a suspended sentence on Dodik, which would allow him to remain free, but with the obligation not to repeat the crime for which he is currently charged.
The filing of the indictment is the result of an attempt by the RS authorities to block the implementation of the judgments of the Constitutional Court of BiH through the adoption of a special law in the entity parliament during June. Despite the annulment of this law by the high representative Christian Schmidt, Dodik’s signature on the published decree, which was announced by Milos Lukic as acting director, brought the president of the smaller BiH entity to the court dock, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
