From the beginning of the year until today, nine people from Bosnia and Herzegovina have ended up on the blacklists of the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (UK), of which eight are officials from various fields of activity and one company.
The list of sanctions best illustrates the state of BiH. Specifically, the reasons why BiH officials were sanctioned andthe functions they hold show how much corruption has eroded BiH society, but also how much democracy is threatened.
The first to end up on the U.S. sanctions list earlier this year was SNSD leader and BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik. He has previously been on the U.S. list of those sanctioned since 2017, together with his party colleague Nikola Spiric. In January this year, he was sanctioned for undermining the state, endangering the Dayton Agreement, corruption, and numerous other activities by which Dodik disrupts the functioning of democracy.
Along with Dodik, Alternative Television was on the list.
Then Dodik ended up on another list, this time on the British sanctions list, along with Republika Srpska (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic. Along with similar reasons given by the Americans, Dodik and Cvijanovic were specifically marked as Russian allies, which significantly changes the context in the new geopolitical circumstances.
Dodik’s adviser Milan Tegeltija ended up on the U.S. blacklist due to high corruption during the period when he was the president of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC). Tegeltija’s wife Tijana was also on the list.
Due to the promotion of the secessionist policy of the RS entity, the Minister of Health, Alen Seranic, ended up on the U.S. black list yesterday. He led the process of adopting the RS Law on Medicines and Medical Devices, which his ministry sent to the RS National Assembly for consideration. It is a direct undermining of the state and the state agency for medicines.
Asim Sarajlic (SDA) from the Federation of BiH (FBiH) ended up on the U.S. blacklist due to corruption, primarily due to the “Asim” affair, which raised a lot of dust in BiH society at the beginning of 2020. Sarajlic is accused of trading in influence in the process of internal party elections.
Sarajlic also ended up on the blacklist on charges of abusing his position in relation to BH Telecom, a large state-owned company in BiH.
Former PDA president Mirsad Kukic ended up on the same list. The State Department said Kukic was involved in corrupt activities related to the work of the Banovici mine.
“As director of the mine, Kukic was involved in corrupt practices through which he used his political influence and official power to gain personal gain. Namely, there is credible information that Kukic took public funds for personal gain and interfered in employment and appointment decisions in order to gain the political benefit, “ the State Department explained.
Former Chief State Prosecutor Gordana Tadic ended up under U.S. sanctions for corruption, but also for being responsible or an accomplice, or for directly or indirectly participating in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Western Balkans.
Finally, Marinko Cavara (HDZ) was sanctioned for blocking democratic processes and endangering the functioning of the FBiH.
“Since 2019, he has refused to nominate judges from the list of candidates submitted by the HJPC to fill vacancies in the court. By refusing to nominate judges, Cavara blocked the functioning of the Council for the Protection of the Vital National Interest of the Court, a body consisting of a number of members and includes a number of judges of the FBiH Constitutional Court, which was formed in 2002 in accordance with the High Representative’s amendments to the FBiH Constitution, “it was noted.
The U.S. authorities have described Chavar as responsible or complicit in, as alleged, direct or indirect participation, violation, or action that obstructs or threatens the implementation of any regional security, peace or cooperation,or mutual recognition agreement, framework agreement, or mechanism which refers to the Western Balkans, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
