13 officials from RS, including Siniša Karan, Rajko Kuzmanović, and Džerard Selman, end up on the blacklist

(Patria) - The US administration has sanctioned several individuals and companies from BiH for assisting Milorad Dodik and his network in corrupt activities, and some for endangering the Dayton Peace Agreement by participating in the celebration of the unconstitutional day of RS, reports VOA.

Thirteen names from RS are on the new blacklist: Radmila Bojanić, Pavle Ćorović (Milorad Dodik's son-in-law), Siniša Dodik, Danijel Dragičević (Head of the Cabinet of the President of RS), Goran Filipović, Marko Gujaničić, Siniša Karan (Minister of Internal Affairs of RS), Rajko Kuzmanović (President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of RS), Dijana Milanković (General Director of RTRs), Dalibor Panić, Goran Raković, Nemanja Reljin, and Džerard Selman (President of the Constitutional Court of RS).

On January 8, 2025, the President of the USA issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14140, an amendment to E.O. 14033, which expanded the US government's ability to curb activities that undermine or attempt to undermine regional peace frameworks and the rule of law in the Western Balkans, and efforts to circumvent US sanctions.

"The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating today five individuals and one entity who are assisting RS President Milorad Dodik and his family in enriching themselves at the public's expense.

Today's action also includes eight individuals who, on Dodik's orders, organized and carried out the celebration of 'RS Day' in January 2024, contrary to the principles of the Dayton Peace Agreement and which the Constitutional Court of BiH declared unconstitutional," reads the explanation of the new sanctions from the State Department.

- Today's action highlights Dodik's continued efforts to undermine the democratic and multi-ethnic framework that defines modern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The United States, using our expanded authorities, remains committed to disrupting any attempts by Dodik and his associates to enrich themselves and destabilize the region," said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.

What is Regulation 14140

On January 8, the White House expanded the sanctions framework for the Western Balkans. The new regulation (14140) aims to "take additional steps to target persons pursuant to Executive Order 14033 and to deter persons from attempting to circumvent United States sanctions."

John Smith, a partner at Morrison Foerster and former director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is responsible for imposing and enforcing US economic sanctions, explained to Voice of America that the expanded framework "allows for additional sanctions in a deteriorating or near-deteriorating situation."

Smith added that the new regulation "suggests that the US government has individuals under consideration."

Dodik's Financial Network

Dodik's efforts to enrich himself led OFAC to designate key parts of Dodik's corrupt patronage network on October 20, 2023, June 18, 2024, November 6, 2024, and December 18, 2024, including several entities and individuals under the direct control of Dodik's son, Igor.

While Igor controls many companies in this network, he conceals his personal connection to the companies by relying on various owners and nominal directors.

Bosnian and Serbian citizen Pavle Ćorović is the husband of Gorica Dodik and director of Global Liberty d.o.o. based in the USA and RS. Together with other entities connected to Dodik, Global Liberty received lucrative incentives from the RS budget.

Radmila Bojanić from BiH and Nemanja Reljin are the director and owner, respectively, of Nimbus Innovations d.o.o. Banja Luka (sanctioned on 12/18/2024).

Previously, both Bojanić and Reljin held the same roles for Sirius 2010 d.o.o. Banja Luka (sanctioned on June 18, 2024) before it formally merged with Nimbus.

Both Nimbus and Sirius were sanctioned because they are controlled by Igor. Bojanić provided business information to Igor and sought Igor's approval before proceeding with business decisions.

To benefit from businesses, directly and indirectly under his control, Igor relies on strategic insights from associates who align with his interests.

For example, Bosnian citizen Siniša Dodik reported to Igor on numerous high-level developments and advised him on business opportunities.

Igor and Serbian citizen Marko Gujaničić were publicly identified in a scheme related to media research and public opinion polling in BiH, in which they sought to exploit a recent rule change, which the BiH Court later overturned as illegally restrictive and contrary to the public interest.

Both Igor and Gujaničić were involved in the formation of the Cypriot SEE Media Research LTD and local operations in BiH.

Igor worked with associates from at least September 2023 to July 2024 to ensure his preferred company had a monopoly on TV viewership measurement.

In addition, Gujaničić informed Igor about the strategy of manipulating responses to TV surveys to achieve their goals.

Organizers of "RS Day"

The RS government organized the celebration of "RS Day" from January 8 to 10, 2024, contrary to previous decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which deemed the celebration on January 9 unconstitutional due to violations of BiH's constitutional obligation of non-discrimination. These events were explicitly organized by the RS government.

Specifically, Dodik personally oversaw and directed efforts to organize and celebrate "RS Day" in 2024.

In response to these celebrations on January 9, the High Representative stated that the celebration of January 9 as "RS Day" constitutes a "clear and direct failure to implement the final and binding decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH" and noted that such non-compliance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH is a criminal offense.

By openly defying the decisions of both the Constitutional Court of BiH and the High Representative – two bodies whose powers are contained within the Dayton Peace Agreement and are crucial for its observance – the actions taken by the RS government, directed by Dodik, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement.

RS Minister of Internal Affairs Siniša Karan, Head of the Cabinet of the President of RS Danijel Dragičević, Head of the Protocol Office of RS Goran Raković, Secretary General of RS Dalibor Panić, Director of Radio Television of RS Dijana Milanković, President of the Constitutional Court of RS Džerard Selman, President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of RS Rajko Kuzmanović, and Head of the Cabinet of the President of the National Assembly of RS Goran Filipović – along with three other members of the Organizing Committee for "RS Day" 2024, who were sanctioned by the US on March 13, 2024 – proposed, adopted, and implemented the event plan for the celebration of "RS Day" in 2024.

In addition to his leading role in overseeing the 2024 events, Dodik recently directed the planning of "RS Day" 2025. To assist in planning "RS Day" 2025, Dodik instructed public officials – including Dragičević, Karan, Milanković, Selman, and Panić – to support various organizational efforts.

All these officials agreed to follow Dodik's instructions and worked to organize the events for "RS Day" 2025 in accordance with his wishes.

Karan, Dragičević, Raković, Panić, Milanković, Selman, and Kuzmanović were formally appointed as members of the Organizing Committee for "RS Day" 2025 by the NSRs. Despite repeated statements from the Constitutional Court of BiH and the High Representative, these officials have continued their behavior that undermines the Dayton Agreement.

In addition to these efforts, in 2024, Dodik ordered several Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) officials to convene a working group to develop a plan for the secession of RS from BiH. Both Karan and Panić were part of this secessionist working group that developed a secession plan for Dodik.

OFAC is sanctioning Karan, Dragičević, Raković, Panić, Milanković, Selman, Kuzmanović, and Filipović for being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly participated in or attempted to engage in, a violation or a violation that has obstructed or threatened the implementation of regional security, peace, cooperation, or mutual recognition agreements, or poses a significant risk of committing such an act, in connection with the Western Balkans, including the Prespa Agreement of 2018; the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 2001; UN Security Council Resolution 1244; the Dayton Agreement; or the conclusions of the Peace Implementation Council held in London in December 1995, including decisions or conclusions of the High Representative, the Peace Implementation Council or its Steering Board; or the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or, in relation to the former Yugoslavia, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Implications of Sanctions

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the above-mentioned persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

In addition, all entities owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

Violations of US sanctions can result in civil or criminal penalties for US and foreign persons.

The ultimate goal of sanctions is not punishment, but positive change in behavior, according to the explanation of the sanctions.

US Embassy Also Responded

"The US is committed to using all the tools at its disposal, including sanctions, to hold individuals and entities accountable for anti-Dayton behavior, for corruption, or for other actions that are destabilizing or threaten the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the US Embassy announced on the X platform.

The U.S. is committed to using all the tools at its disposal, including sanctions, to hold individuals and entities accountable for anti-Dayton behavior, for corruption, or for other actions that are destabilizing or threaten the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.…

— US Embassy Sarajevo (@USEmbassySJJ) January 17, 2025