In a country with endemic corruption and a weak judiciary, where politicians rarely face accountability for their actions, the Draft Law on Immunity in Republika Srpska (RS) will only worsen the situation - the Office of the High Representative (OHR) stated regarding the said Draft, which is on the agenda of the RS parliament session. The Draft proposes that officials of the legislative and executive authorities in RS cannot be held accountable for their actions within the scope of their duties.

The OHR told Fena news agency that the intent demonstrated by the ruling coalition in RS is to grant immunity to politicians instead of enabling public scrutiny of their work.

If adopted, this law expands the circle of officials in the RS entity who, during criminal and misdemeanour proceedings for not respecting the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, can invoke immunity.

“Cooperation with the OHR is an obligation under the Dayton Peace Agreement,” the OHR stated in this regard.

The US Embassy in BiH also previously assessed that the RS immunity law is not in line with international standards, it undermines the rule of law, and will “enable greater corruption and abuse of power by RS officials.”

The Speaker of the RS National Assembly, Nenad Stevandic, said that, according to the current Law on Immunity in RS, members of parliament are in a privileged position compared to other officials, and this is not acceptable.

The Draft Law on Immunity in RS also provides for its retroactive application from August 1, 2021, the date when the High Representative Christian Schmidt took office.

If adopted this week, a public debate will follow, after which the proposal for this law will be submitted to the parliamentary procedure.