On September 11, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina officially confirmed the indictment prepared against Milorad Dodik and Miloš Lukić. This development was reported by the Balkans Service of Radio Free Europe.
Milorad Dodik, serving as the President of Republika Srpska, and Miloš Lukić, acting as the director of the Official Gazette of this entity, stand accused of criminal offenses related to their failure to comply with decisions made by international high representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dodik’s legal counsel, Goran Bubic, conveyed his intent to respond to the indictment once he receives official notification from the authorities. He noted that he had come across reports in the media regarding the indictment but awaited formal communication.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina had initially filed the indictment against Dodik and Lukić on August 11, subsequently forwarding it to the court for confirmation. However, on August 18, the court requested certain revisions to the indictment.
On August 24, the court gave its approval to the revised indictment against Dodik and Lukić.
This indictment arose following the controversial passage of two laws by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on June 27. Dodik had endorsed these laws, which were later published in the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska.
The laws in question stipulate that decisions made by the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia will no longer be published in the Official Gazette and will not hold sway within this entity. Likewise, decisions issued by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer carry weight in Republika Srpska.
Christian Schmidt, the High Representative in Bosnia, nullified these decisions on July 1.
Officials within Republika Srpska, led by Dodik, have contended that Schmidt lacks legitimacy, as he was not appointed by the United Nations Security Council, given opposition from China and Russia.
The indictment led to protests by Dodik’s supporters on September 1.
