Dodik's defense requests trial in Banja Luka

(Patria) - The defense of the President of Republika Srpska and SNSD Milorad Dodik has submitted a proposal to the Court of BiH to transfer the court proceedings against him and the acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, Miloš Lukić, from the Court of BiH to the Basic Court in Banja Luka, lawyer Goran Bubić confirmed to RTRS.

The defense requested the transfer of the proceedings to Banja Luka because they "doubt the objectivity and impartiality of the Court of BiH".

They state that the media and the public in Sarajevo, by reporting statements from the High Representative, as well as the US and UK embassies, are "prejudging guilt and seriously contaminating this case".

Bubić also wrote to the Court of BiH that an important reason for transferring the trial to Banja Luka is the public debate between Milorad Dodik and the President of the Court of BiH, Ranko Debevec.

He also presented headlines from 2020 which read: "Debevec will sue Dodik for insult", "Dodik is the one illegally wiretapping people", "Let him present evidence of corruption or a lawsuit will follow".

Because of this, the defense concluded that "there is animosity between Dodik and Debevec", and in that regard, "the trial cannot be fair".