A court in Bosnia has sentenced Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russia Bosnian Serb president, to one year in prison and banned him from politics for six years due to his separatist actions. This ruling came after a year-long trial over charges of disobeying the top international envoy overseeing peace in the region. Dodik and his lawyers were absent during the sentencing, and he has vowed to disobey any conviction and consider “radical measures,” including potential secession of the Serb-run entity in Bosnia, Republika Srpska, from the rest of the country. He has been sanctioned by the Biden administration for his actions and policies. The verdict has raised concerns in Bosnia, where a 1992-95 war over independence from the former Yugoslavia led to significant loss of life and displacement. The US-sponsored Dayton Accords, which ended the war, created two autonomous regions and established a rotating three-member presidency. Dodik’s conflict with the high representative overseeing the peace, Christian Schmidt, and his efforts to declareschmidt’s decisions unlawful, indicates the fragility of the peace process. Bosniak official Camil Durakovic stated that the verdict sends a message that no individual is above the law. Dodik, currently in the Bosnian Serb administrative capital of Banja Luka, has the support of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who views the verdict as an attack on the Serb people and has called for an urgent national security council session. Due to Vučić’s support, Dodik may not face immediate imprisonment. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has condemned the verdict, labeling it as a “political witch-hunt” and a threat to the stability of the Western Balkans.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/26/pro-russia-bosnian-serb-president-milorad-dodik-jailed-for-separatist-actions