Helez: Dodik must not be allowed to flee BiH, I call on citizens to remain calm

(Patria) - By signing the decree enacting unconstitutional laws adopted by the National Assembly of the RS, which as of today ban the operation of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, the BiH Court, SIPA and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (VSTV), the Constitution of BiH and the Dayton Peace Agreement have been violated, said BiH Defence Minister Zukan Helez (SDP BiH) today.

"Milorad Dodik is showing he is ready to go all the way. He has committed a similar criminal offense to the one for which he was recently non-finally convicted before the BiH Court. Dodik's plan is to provoke the biggest crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the war. After that, when the noose tightens around him and he is forced to answer for everything he has done, he plans to flee to Serbia, which under the regime of Aleksandar Vučić has become a haven for fugitive war criminals and criminals. In this way, he plans to avoid prison, as well as accountability, because under his rule the smaller Bosnian entity has become the poorest and most indebted part of Europe.

Given how things are currently unfolding in Serbia, even Serbia will not be a safe haven for Dodik for long. A change of government in Serbia is expected soon, and I am sure that the young people fighting for democracy and freedom in their own country would extradite the thug Dodik.

I urge citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina to remain calm; everything Dodik does is aimed at provocation to cause even more instability and violence. The institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are strong enough to deal with the thug Dodik.

At this moment of crisis in our country, the judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily the BiH Prosecutor's Office and the BiH Constitutional Court, are the first called to react. I am pleased with the statement of the President of the BiH VSTV, Sanin Bogunić, who said that according to his information, BiH judicial institutions are working very actively on all cases related to the current political situation.

If Dodik does not respond to the summons of BiH judicial institutions, as he is now announcing, an arrest warrant must be issued for him. Dodik must be arrested. Because of the crisis he has caused, Dodik must be in prison. Due to unconstitutional actions and violations of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Dodik must not be allowed to flee Bosnia and Herzegovina. This crisis will show the character and strength of Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutions. I am sure that our country will emerge even stronger after all this," Helez said.