Trial of Dodik and Lukić postponed to July 17

(Patria) - The continuation of the trial of RS President Milorad Dodik and acting Director of the Official Gazette of RS Miloš Lukić, scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed due to non-implementation of the High Representative's decisions.

Defense attorneys confirmed to ATV that the hearing at the Court of BiH has been postponed to July 17.

The last trial was held on May 22, when the BiH Prosecutor's Office presented material evidence. The Court of BiH rejected an earlier request by Dodik's defense to summon High Representative Christian Schmidt as a witness.

Judge Sena Uzunović stated that the defense's proposal to hear Srebrenka Golić, Speaker of the Council of Peoples of RS, and Jelena Pajić-Baštinac, legal advisor to Dodik, as witnesses has been accepted.

The presentation of material evidence has been accepted, including parts of the documents from the Bonn Conference relating to the High Representative.

Dodik's lawyer Goran Bubić again called on the BiH Prosecutor's Office to withdraw the indictment and thus end this case.

The defense is based on the claim that Schmidt is a "foreigner" and not an elected High Representative.

Dodik and Lukić are accused of having, from July 1 to 9, 2023, in Banja Luka, being aware and knowing that High Representative Schmidt had made a decision preventing the entry into force of the Law on Non-Implementation of Decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH from July 1 of the same year, as well as the decision preventing the entry into force of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Publication of Laws and Other Regulations of RS, undertaken actions aimed at continuing the legislative procedure, without applying and implementing the decisions of the High Representative.