Bosnia and Herzegovina's Defence Minister, Zukan Helez, has urged the judiciary to take action against the celebration of Republika Srpska Day, which the country’s Constitutional Court has twice declared unconstitutional.

Helez addressed the issue on his official Facebook page, stating, “The celebration of January 9 as the day of the smaller Bosnian entity has been ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of BiH on two occasions. Its commemoration constitutes a criminal act. I demand that the judiciary, particularly the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, prosecute the organizers of this provocative, unconstitutional event.”

He went on to describe the entity in stark terms:

“The smaller Bosnian entity is a byproduct of horrific wartime events, marked by mass graves, founded on war crimes, genocide, concentration camps, and the expulsion of non-Serb populations. January 9 should only be a day of mourning, a day of remembrance for the victims of the Greater Serbia policy.”

Helez criticized the 1995 Dayton Agreement, stating that its provisions, particularly the establishment of Republika Srpska as an administrative unit with specific powers and its name, were a grave mistake.

The minister also addressed the agreement on special parallel relations between Serbia and Republika Srpska, alleging its misuse. “The agreement, intended to promote social, democratic, and economic development, is now being exploited to undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity while enabling Serbia’s aggressive interference in BiH’s internal affairs,” he said.

Helez called for international intervention: “The international community must react and suspend the agreement on special parallel relations between Serbia and Republika Srpska. It is evident that today’s political leadership in Republika Srpska and Serbia is merely a pale reflection of Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, and Slobodan Milosevic. Their political goals remain the same. The so-called ‘Serbian World’ is nothing more than a continuation of the idea of a ‘Greater Serbia.’”

Concluding his statement, Helez issued a stark warning: “If the international community continues to tolerate the secessionist policies openly promoted by the leadership of the smaller Bosnian entity and Serbia’s aggressive stance toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is only a matter of time before another conflict erupts in this region. Time and patience have run out—it is time for comprehensive action against separatists.”