Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić addressed the public after the National Security Council session and said that Serbia does not recognize the verdict against Milorad Dodik, whose first-instance verdict of one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity was confirmed yesterday by the Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Vučić stated at a press conference that they had two items on the agenda: the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
“The decision was made at the Council session that Serbia does not recognize the verdict against Milorad Dodik and that this decision is binding on all organs of the Republic of Serbia,” Vučić said, adding:
“You could see how the verdict was being politically prepared, that the parties in Sarajevo threatened demonstrations if an appropriate verdict was not issued.”
He said that he had spoken with two world leaders about how Serbia should behave and that he told them that Serbia is a sovereign state.
Vučić said that Serbia is in the most difficult situation since 2008 and read the Council’s conclusion, the newspaper “Danas” reported.
He said that the conclusion of the National Security Council decided that Serbia strongly condemns the verdict against the President of Republika Srpska and assesses it as “political and undemocratic”.
In addition to the decision made at the Council that Serbia does not recognize the verdict against Milorad Dodik, it was assessed that this verdict jeopardizes the security situation in the region.
Vučić stated that the verdict banning Dodik from engaging in politics for six years nullified the will of the citizens of Republika Srpska who elected Dodik as their legitimate representative.
Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban on holding political office for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt. Although he announced that he would not appeal this decision, “because he does not recognize the Court”, his legal team nevertheless filed an appeal.
