Orban hosts Dodik despite arrest warrant and conviction in Bosnia

Bosnia’s State Court issued an arrest warrant and ordered detention for Dodik in March after he failed to respond to a summons from the Prosecutor’s Office, which launched an investigation against him for attacking the country’s constitutional framework. Nonetheless, Dodik crossed the Bosnian border without any hindrance and traveled to Hungary.

Since being officially listed on the BiH police warrant, Dodik has also visited Serbia and Russia, where he continues to receive open political backing.

The latest visit to Budapest followed an invitation from the Hungarian leadership and was described as a working meeting with Orban.

“Republika Srpska is lucky to have a friend like Viktor Orban,” Dodik wrote on social media platform X, sharing a photo of himself with Orban in the garden next to the Hungarian PM’s office.

In February, the BiH Court sentenced Dodik to one year in prison, along with a six-year ban on political activity, for defying decisions made by the international High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A hearing on appeals filed by both Dodik’s defense and the Prosecutor’s Office is scheduled for June 12, with a final verdict expected by the end of summer.

If Dodik receives a final prison sentence of more than six months, his mandate as President of Republika Srpska will automatically be terminated, in accordance with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Election Law.