Russia has requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Al Jazeera's Washington correspondent Ivica Puljic reported.

“This is a very significant move by Russia’s UN mission,” Puljic said, noting that the session will be held behind closed doors.

The crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina has escalated following last week's first-instance conviction of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik. He was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year suspension from political office for failing to implement decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt.

The verdict triggered strong reactions in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity, where the National Assembly subsequently passed laws restricting the authority of state-level security and judicial institutions within the entity. These include the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor’s Office, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council.

The opposition has warned that these laws could deepen the crisis in the RS. The laws are now under review by the entity's Council of Peoples. Meanwhile, Dodik has also announced plans to amend Republika Srpska’s constitution in response to the ruling.

The possibility of a UN Security Council debate on Bosnia was first raised by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who visited Dodik in Banja Luka on the same day the verdict was announced.