Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova reacted to the verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the President of the Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik, calling it an “illegal criminal prosecution”.
We are reporting her reaction in full:
“We are deeply disappointed by the unjust and anti-democratic decision of the Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which on August 1 confirmed the previously rendered absurd verdict of guilt in a fabricated criminal case against the President of the Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik.
We have already repeatedly emphasized that the criminal prosecution of the legally elected head of the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina was “ordered” by forces that have nothing in common not only with Themis, but also with Bosnia and Herzegovina itself, and is aimed solely at removing from the political scene an undesirable leader who consistently opposes Western neo-colonialism.
Let us recall that Milorad Dodik is essentially accused of conscientiously fulfilling his duties in accordance with the Constitution of the Republika Srpska. The dissatisfaction is caused by his refusal to obey the pseudo-law “adopted” by the unelected fraudster – German citizen Christian Schmidt, who presents himself as the “High Representative” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but is in fact the so-called useful idiot of Berlin and London, who stubbornly continue to consider Bosnia and Herzegovina their protectorate.
We start from the obvious fact that there has been no High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2021. Christian Schmidt is a usurper, his candidacy was not approved by the UN Security Council. His “decisions” are contrary to the democratic principles of legality, the rule of law and are legally null and void, as are the court judgments issued on them. They cause enormous damage to the legal and political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the intra-Bosnian dialogue and the post-conflict settlement process as a whole.
We strongly support the legitimate authorities of Republika Srpska, whose efforts are aimed at protecting their constitutional status in accordance with the General Framework (Dayton) Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina of 1995, the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and equality of the three constituent peoples and two entities with broad powers established therein.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a guarantor of Dayton, the Russian Federation intends to use the political means at its disposal to prevent the escalation of tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina provoked by the West, in order to minimize threats to interethnic dialogue, peace and stability in the country and the region as a whole. We call on all parties to restore an atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation between the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
As a reminder, the Appellate Chamber in its second-instance verdict upheld the decision of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and a six-year ban on holding political office. Dodik was sentenced in the first-instance verdict 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.
