Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Friday that his country is facing its most difficult political moment since 2008, after a Bosnian court upheld a one-year prison sentence and a six-year political ban against Milorad Dodik, the president of Bosnia’s Serb entity, Republika Srpska.
Vučić told reporters he had convened an emergency session of Serbia’s National Security Council following the verdict, which he said triggered immense foreign pressure on Belgrade.
“The entire state leadership, and I personally, are under serious pressure this afternoon from foreign actors who demand Serbia’s reaction,” Vučić said. “We haven’t been in a situation this difficult, or under such pressure, since 2008,” he added, referring to the year Kosovo declared independence – a move Serbia has never recognized.
He cited multiple challenges Serbia has faced since then, including mass floods, the migrant crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and tensions in Kosovo, along with “accusations regarding Srebrenica”.
The State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday confirmed Dodik’s February 26 conviction for refusing to implement decisions issued by the international High Representative, Christian Schmidt. The verdict is final and not subject to appeal, according to the court.
Dodik, speaking at an emergency press conference in Banja Luka, rejected the ruling and said he would not recognize it. “Institutions of Republika Srpska will determine their response. I will respect the decision of our parliament, but I do not accept this verdict,” he said.
He also announced that the RS Assembly would soon adopt new measures and a “clear plan” to respond to the situation, without elaborating.
Dodik said he expects support from Serbia and intends to reach out to Russia and the United States.
His lawyer announced plans to challenge the decision before Bosnia’s Constitutional Court.
Dodik was found guilty for signing decrees enacting laws previously annulled by the High Representative. The legislation was seen as an attempt by RS institutions to obstruct the implementation of decisions by Bosnia’s Constitutional Court and the international oversight authority within the entity’s territory.