Russia calls UN Security Council consultations over Dodik’s mandate strip

The request was directed to Panama, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

According to reports by SRNA, citing Russian state agency RIA Novosti, the closed consultations are expected to take place on Thursday at 21 CET. The meeting appears in the Security Council's internal schedule, according to these sources.

However, as of Thursday afternoon, the official UN Security Council website lists only a media briefing by the chargé d'affaires of the Russian Federation at 20:45 CET. No formal confirmation of the closed meeting has been published on the Council’s public agenda.

The Panamanian Mission to the United Nations confirmed to RIA Novosti that Russia submitted the request to convene the meeting.

This move comes in response to Wednesday's decision by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to revoke Milorad Dodik’s presidential mandate. The decision followed a final ruling by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and issued a six-year ban on holding public office for contempt of decisions made by the High Representative.

The CEC’s decision will become legally binding after the expiration of the appeal deadline and subsequent confirmation by the Appellate Division of the BiH Court.

Earlier this morning, the Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina also issued a statement condemning the CEC’s move. The Embassy warned that the country may be approaching a "point of no return," calling this moment a “test” for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is the latest in a series of international responses to the legal and political crisis triggered by Dodik’s sentencing and the subsequent revocation of his mandate by BiH’s top electoral authority.