Appellate Panel session suspended: Dodik’s legal team requests recusal of judges

According to Dodik’s legal team, the judges whose recusal is being sought were members of the criminal panel that previously ruled on a request to transfer the case from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Banja Luka. The defense argues that this constitutes a potential conflict of interest in the current appeal phase.

Due to this request, the hearing was interrupted and a pause was declared until a decision is made regarding the validity of the recusal request. It is not known when the hearing will resume, but a decision is expected to be made as soon as possible.

The first-instance verdict for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and acting director of the Official Gazette of Srpska, Milos Lukic, was delivered on February 26.

Dodik was found guilty of failing to comply with decisions of the High Representative and sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban from holding the office of President of Republika Srpska. Lukic was acquitted.