The Institute for the Research of Genocide from Canadia (IGK) asked the High Representative in BiH Christian Schmidt to sanction the Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) Speaker, Nenad Stevandic, by banning him from holding any political office.

“The basis for the use of Bonn powers is the placing of Stevandić on the American blacklist because he is directly responsible for encouraging the adoption of laws in the RSNA, by which the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina are declared inapplicable in this Bosnian entity, which negates the institutions of the state of BiH, obstructs and threatens the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and seriously disrupts peace and stability in the region. Another basis for applying the Bonn powers is the well-founded suspicion of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the aggression against BiH,” the Institute said.

At the same time, IGK submitted a criminal complaint against Stevandic to the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

“Nenad Stevandic, the RSNA Speaker and president of the United Srpska party has been facing accusations about his wartime past and role in the aggression against BiH. The IGK has evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which are primarily reflected in Stevandic’s participation, as the commander of the “Serbian Defense Forces” (SDF) in Kotor Varos, in the mistreatment and forced imprisonment of the Bosniak population, raids on Bosniak houses, gross mistreatment and taking Bosniaks to death concentration camps in the area of Kotor Varos,” they said.

The Institute believes that the High Representative and BiH judicial institutions “must react decisively and take urgent steps within their competence.”