A court hearing for the case against the President of Republika Srpska (RS) entity Milorad Dodik and acting the director of the RS Official Gazette, Milos Lukic, was postponed once more. Lukic did not appear at the hearing due to health reasons, thus the judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirsad Strika suggested that the proceedings in this case be separated, that is, that Dodik and Lukic be tried separately. This proposal was met with strong reactions from Milorad Dodik's defence team, which already had a file ready with a request for the disqualification of Judge Strike, as well as seven other judges. Pročitaj više

Judge Strika expressed suspicion that Lukic failed to appear with the intention of prolonging the proceedings, stating that the hearing had been cancelled several times already. He suggested that, if it is proven that Lukic has health issues, the proceedings should be separated.

Dodik's defence then asked for his exemption, stating that Strika was biased and that the very request to separate the proceedings proved that this trial is an attempt to eliminate Dodik from political life.

They asked for the exemption of seven judges of the Extrajudicial Criminal Chamber, the Appellate Department of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the reporter in the Dodik case. They consider them responsible for the fact that Dodik's complaints and requests were not considered in the “correct way”.

The main hearing was postponed to January 30.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Dodik and Lukic on August 11, 2023, and sent it to the BiH Court for confirmation, but on August 18 the Court sent it back for adjustment and amendment.

The indictment followed after the National Assembly of the RS adopted two disputed laws on June 27, which Dodik signed according to the regular legislative procedure, and published in the RS Official Gazette.

These are laws stating that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) decisions will no longer be published in this publication, and thus will not be implemented in that BiH entity, and that decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer be enforced in the RS.

The High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, annulled both laws with his decisions of July 1.