PRESUDA SUDA BiH Miloš Lukić oslobođen, Dodik osuđen na godinu zatvora i šest godina zabrane političkog djelovanja

(Patria) - “He is guilty,” said Judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sena Uzunović while announcing the verdict against the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, reports Istraga.ba.

He is guilty, and therefore the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentences him to one year in prison. At the same time, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina imposes a measure on the President of Republika Srpska – a ban on political activity for six years.

Acting Director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska Miloš Lukić was acquitted of the charges because the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina made an oversight. In short, Lukić was not registered in the business entities register at the time the disputed decree of the President of Republika Srpska was published in the Official Gazette.

President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik was convicted for committing the criminal offense of Failure to Enforce the Decisions of the High Representative. Dodik, Lukić, and their defense attorneys did not attend the announcement of the verdict.

Both the defense and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to appeal this decision.

Dodik and Lukić were charged with, from July 1 to July 9, 2023, in Banja Luka, being aware and knowing that the High Representative Christian Schmidt had issued a decision preventing the entry into force of two laws, continuing with legal actions without applying and implementing the decisions of the High Representative.

According to the first count of the indictment, Dodik, using his official powers, issued a decree on the proclamation of the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Publication of Laws and Other Regulations of Republika Srpska, which he signed personally, and which was adopted by the National Assembly on June 21, thereby not applying and implementing the decision of the High Representative that suspended the legislative procedure for adopting the said law, as well as the decree.

The prosecutors in the indictment claimed that Dodik was aware that the decisions of the High Representative were binding in accordance with his powers. Dodik has from the beginning challenged Schmidt's mandate, claiming that the procedures for appointment in the United Nations Security Council were not followed.

The second count states that Lukić, as Acting Director of the “Official Gazette of Republika Srpska,” on July 9 signed a form that enabled the publication of decisions and laws forwarded to him by Dodik.

“Dodik and Lukić, as officials in the institutions of Republika Srpska, did not apply and implement the decisions of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the indictment states, adding that they committed the criminal offense of “failure to enforce the decisions of the High Representative.”