Bosnia’s state court on Monday replaced a one-year prison sentence for Milorad Dodik, president of the country’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS), with a fine of about 18,660 euros ($20,500), while upholding a six-year ban on holding public office.
Under Bosnia’s criminal code, prison terms of up to 12 months can be converted into monetary penalties. The ban prompted the Central Election Commission (CEC) to revoke Dodik’s mandate as RS president, triggering a legal requirement for early elections in the entity.
Dodik was convicted earlier this month for refusing to implement decisions issued in 2023 by Bosnia’s international peace envoy, High Representative Christian Schmidt. He dismissed the ruling as “more bullshit from Sarajevo” and vowed to continue fighting, saying “surrender is not an option.”
The nationalist leader said he would appeal to Bosnia’s Court of Appeals, Constitutional Court and possibly the European Court of Human Rights to overturn his removal from office. He also floated holding referendums in RS to challenge the verdict, telling RTRS public television that Bosnia was “entering a series of referendums.”
The RS National Assembly plans to debate the CEC’s decision, though no date has been set. Local media reported the session could precede a referendum aimed at rejecting the verdict.
Some opposition parties back early elections instead. Draško Stanivuković, leader of the Party of Democratic Progress and mayor of Banja Luka, said his party would boycott any early presidential poll.
“We will not build a political future on someone else’s ruin,” Stanivuković said. “Changes in society must come by the will of the people, not by the decision of the court.”