Orban blasts conviction of Bosnian Serb leader
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has condemned the conviction of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik by a court in Sarajevo, describing it as a 'political witch hunt' and a misuse of the legal system against a democratically elected official. Such moves are detrimental to the stability of the Western Balkans, he warned.
A Bosnian court sentenced Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, to one year in prison on Wednesday for obstructing decisions made by Bosnia's constitutional court and defying the authority of international envoy Christian Schmidt, who oversees the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that concluded the Bosnian war. The court also barred Dodik from holding political office for six years.
'The political witch hunt against President @MiloradDodik is a sad example of the weaponization of the legal system aimed at a democratically elected leader,' Orban wrote on X in response to the court's ruling.
'If we want to safeguard stability in the Western Balkans, this is not the way forward!'
Dodik did not attend the sentencing but addressed supporters in Banja Luka afterward, denouncing the ruling as politically motivated and pledging to implement 'radical measures.' He warned that the conviction could deal a 'death blow to Bosnia and Herzegovina' and suggested the possibility of Republika Srpska's secession.
In a post on his official X account, Dodik announced plans for the Republika Srpska National Assembly to reject the court's decision and prohibit the enforcement of any rulings from Bosnia's state judiciary within its territory. Republika Srpska would obstruct the operations of Bosnia's central government and police within its jurisdiction, he declared.
Dodik has two weeks to appeal the verdict. Legal experts indicate that the sentence will become final once the appeals process is exhausted.
Following the verdict, Dodik communicated with Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, expressing gratitude for their support. Vucic has convened an emergency meeting of Serbia's National Security Council to discuss the implications of Dodik's sentence and is expected to visit Republika Srpska within the next 24 hours.
Dodik is known for his opposition to NATO and has resisted Bosnia's accession to the US-led military bloc. He has also opposed Western sanctions against Russia related to the Ukraine conflict.
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