Ministry of Defence of BiH: Serving military service abroad is prohibited by law

(Patria) - The Ministry of Defence of BiH issued a statement today regarding the announcement by the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, that the possibility of "young men from Republika Srpska serving their military service in Serbia" is being considered.

- Through certain solutions, we will provide incentives for our young men to go to Serbia, complete their military service, and return to Republika Srpska. We will see how to enable faster employment or other types of privileges and support for young men who accept this - Dodik said.

"Regarding the encouragement of irresponsible politicians for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to serve military service in another country, we consider it necessary to inform the wider public that according to the Law on Defence of BiH, Article 51 (Prohibition of Engagement of Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina), citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina whose place of residence is in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those with dual citizenship, are prohibited from serving military service and undergoing training as recruits in the armed forces of other countries.

Furthermore, we emphasize that any incitement and encouragement of actions contrary to the provisions of the aforementioned article of the law can also be linked to a violation of Article 162b of the Criminal Code of BiH, which specifies that anyone who publicly, through the media, distributes or otherwise conveys a message to the public with the aim of inciting another to commit this criminal offense will be punished with imprisonment.

Therefore, in order to respect the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we expect responsible conduct, not only from those who express such and similar views, but also from the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to whom such messages are directed.

We also expect the competent authorities and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are responsible for law enforcement, to take all necessary measures and legally prescribed activities to ensure compliance with the aforementioned regulations," stated the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Defence of BiH.