Bosnian Prosecutor's Office issues arrest warrant for Dodik

2025-03-12 09:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered police to detain the President of Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Viškovi? and the Speaker of the Parliament of this entity, Nenad Stevandi?, for questioning.

The news was confirmed to Radio Television of Republika Srpska by the Government of Republika Srpska.

Authorities in Republika Srpska plan to define the entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state of the Serb people, grant it the right to self-determination, create its own army and abolish the Council of Peoples, according to a new draft of the Republika Srpska Constitution, which Radio Free Europe has seen. These changes contradict the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The arrest warrant for Dodik, Vishkovic and Stevandic was issued by Bosnian Prosecutor ?azim Hasanpahi?. They are accused of committing the criminal offense of “attacking the constitutional order,” Radio Television of Republika Srpska reported, citing confirmation from the Republika Srpska government.

The Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides for the possibility of issuing an order for compulsory conduct to provide testimony, in the event that the person summoned to judicial institutions refuses to do so.

The Prosecutor's Office has submitted the detention order to the judicial police and has requested assistance from the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior and the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), Radio Republika Srpska reported.

The director of the police court in Republika Srpska, Zeljko Dragojevic, told the television that this police does not and cannot issue detention orders because this is within the jurisdiction of SIPA and the Police Court of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The National Assembly of Republika Srpska is scheduled to discuss the entity's draft constitution on March 12, marking yet another secessionist move by the entity's authorities after laws were passed that ban Bosnia's judicial and investigative institutions from operating on the territory of Republika Srpska. The laws came into effect last week.

At a session on March 12, deputies in Republika Srpska are also expected to discuss the creation of a special court and prosecutor's office to "protect the constitutional order."

These unconstitutional laws were passed after Dodik was sentenced, in the first instance, by the Bosnian Court to one year in prison and a six-year ban from holding the office of president for disrespecting the decisions of the international High Representative./ REL