Court finds Milorad Dodik guilty of discrimination against LGBTI persons

The Court determined that the statements made by the then-President of Republika Srpska created a hostile and offensive environment. These remarks occurred around the time the BiH Pride March planned an event in Banja Luka, which was followed by a violent attack by hooligans on LGBTI activists. According to SOC, Dodik’s public rhetoric included suggestions to ban activists from schools and remove specific content from textbooks, claiming such presence "pollutes the public and social space" and should be "eliminated." He also suggested that those who disagree with his stance should move to "islands around the world where that is a normality."

The verdict emphasizes that as a holder of the highest executive office in Republika Srpska, Dodik bears a higher degree of responsibility for his public speech. The court noted that his statements generalized an entire social group and called for their institutional exclusion, exceeding the limits of a personal value judgment.

Darko Pandurevic of SOC described the verdict as a significant reminder that no one is above the law, while attorney Dzenana Hadziomerovic highlighted the Court's consistent application of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination of BiH. The Court has formally prohibited Dodik from repeating similar actions that violate the right to equal treatment for the LGBTI community.