N1 learns: Slovenia imposes sanctions on Milorad Dodik, banning his entry

Under the sanctions, Dodik is prohibited from entering Slovenia. A key reason cited for the move is the large outflow of capital of suspicious origin from Republika Srpska and the wider Western Balkans region into Slovenia.

According to information obtained by N1, the Slovenian government confirmed at its Thursday session that a travel ban will be imposed on the ousted Republika Srpska leader. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MZEZ) prepared the material for the decision.

The government had already discussed the issue two weeks ago but did not finalise it at the time, requesting additional documentation. As N1 Slovenia previously reported, according to unofficial information, the initiative for sanctions came from several security agencies that had uncovered significant transfers of questionable funds from Republika Srpska into Slovenia in recent years. Among the cases of concern was a villa with a swimming pool in central Portoroz, allegedly purchased without a loan.

Dodik has publicly rejected the possibility of stepping down from the presidency of Republika Srpska, despite the Central Election Commission of BiH already revoking his mandate. Instead, he announced plans to organise a referendum to let citizens decide whether to accept the CEC’s decision and the verdict of the Court of BiH; an action deemed unconstitutional and unlawful.

“Respecting the independence of the judiciary is essential, and that will guide our actions in the future,” Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said earlier.

Although the Slovenian government was initially expected to address the issue again last Friday after the foreign ministry updated the documentation, the matter was pulled from the agenda following instructions not to proceed at that time.

Germany and Austria imposed sanctions on Dodik and other top Republika Srpska officials on April 3, 2025, citing “attacks on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional order.”

Dodik was also placed on the US sanctions list in January 2022 for threatening the Dayton Peace Agreement.