International reactions mount as Dodik conviction confirmed by BiH Court

Following the Court's decision to uphold the initial one-year prison sentence and six-year political ban for Dodik over non-compliance with decisions of the High Representative, multiple foreign missions and international officials stressed that the verdict is binding and must be implemented without delay.

In a brief but clear statement, High Representative Christian Schmidt told investigative outlet Detektor: “Court decisions must be respected.”

The European Union also weighed in, with a spokesperson issuing an official statement: “The EU takes note of the criminal conviction in appeal of Milorad Dodik by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The verdict is binding and must be respected.”

Reinforcing these calls, the British Embassy in Sarajevo released a statement emphasising the need for swift and complete compliance. “After the Court of BiH's decision to uphold the first instance verdict in the case against Milorad Dodik and Milos Lukic, the UK is clear that the Court’s judgment needs to be respected without reservation. All appropriate institutions and actors should uphold the rule of law and comply with the judgment expeditiously as per the Court’s directions,” read the message published on the Embassy’s X profile.

The case against Dodik stems from his public defiance of the authority of the Office of the High Representative and his active role in publishing laws nullified by the OHR, a move the Court found to be a criminal offence under BiH law.

As of now, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Election Commission has initiated procedural steps to obtain official court documents, which are a prerequisite for any potential actions concerning Dodik’s mandate.