The Defense Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, reacted to recent statements by the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, in which Dodik suggested that young men from Republika Srpska should serve in the Serbian military before returning to Bosnia.

Helez accused Dodik of repeatedly attacking the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), stating, “This is a continuation of his policy of attacking state institutions: the Constitutional Court of BiH, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, JP RTVBiH, and particularly the AFBiH and other institutions that symbolize our country.”

Helez cited a legal provision explicitly prohibiting citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina from serving military duties in other countries: “By making statements in which he directly encourages citizens of BiH from the RS entity to serve in the Serbian military, Dodik is violating the Defense Law of BiH, specifically Article 51, which forbids citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those with dual citizenship, from serving in the armed forces of other countries.”

Helez also pointed out that encouraging such behavior could be linked to violations of Article 162b of the BiH Criminal Code, which provides for imprisonment for those who publicly incite others to commit such offenses.

“In accordance with the stated legal provisions, I call on the judicial authorities of BiH, particularly the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, to investigate Dodik's statements encouraging citizens of BiH from the RS entity to serve military duty in Serbia. The AFBiH is the most integrated part of the Bosnian society, and no matter how hard Dodik and those around him try, they will not destabilize it,” Helez said, emphasizing that the citizens of BiH have been “hostages to Dodik's unlawful actions” for years.

Helez expressed confidence that Bosnia and Herzegovina could have already become a full-fledged member of the EU and NATO if the authorities in Republika Srpska had genuinely pursued Euro-Atlantic integration: “Due to a few irresponsible nationalists ready to jeopardize the future of all citizens in our country, we are still stuck in the mud of the 1990s, dreaming of new ‘greater states’ and ‘ethnically cleansed lands.’ To all those openly attacking the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, I say that they will get a response from BiH institutions.”

Helez concluded by calling on all citizens and political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to work together to build a country where everyone has equal rights and freedoms, regardless of their ethnicity or place of residence.

Dodik had earlier stated that young people from Republika Srpska who complete their military training in Serbia should receive benefits or quicker employment, adding, “We will incentivize our boys to go to Serbia, serve in the military, and return.”

Other political figures also responded to Dodik's remarks. The Federation's Interior Minister, Ramo Isak, said Dodik could again find himself in court, questioning whether Dodik does not understand the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina or is deliberately attempting to undermine it. Meanwhile, the SDA party accused Dodik of being willing to jeopardize peace and send young Serbs to prison.