US lawmakers urge Trump to reimpose sanctions on RS officials, condemn Srebrenica hearings

The sanctions against the RS officials were lifted in October 2025.

The Washington lawmakers’ reaction followed actions by Republika Srpska authorities against employees and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center.

In a joint statement to Semafor, senators and members of the House from both major US parties expressed deep concern over the pressure and questioning of researchers documenting the denial of the genocide.

Among those supporting the call are Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Jeanne Shaheen, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Senator Dick Durbin, and Representatives Bill Keating and Mike Turner.

Call to enforce National Defense Authorization Act

The US lawmakers called on the White House and State Department to consistently enforce provisions of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The legislation requires the US administration to impose sanctions on individuals determined to be undermining the stability, security or territorial integrity of countries in the Western Balkans.

This is not the first time lawmakers in Washington have called for punitive measures.

Earlier, they urged Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to sanction former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik over his continued calls for secession, which they said raised serious concerns for peace in the region.

Lobbying in Washington and controversial moves

The report notes that the US lifted sanctions against Dodik last year, after which he visited Washington in February.

Republika Srpska authorities have also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the second Trump administration, promoting the slogan “Republika Srpska First.”

Jim O’Brien, a former US assistant secretary of state, warned that financial and political interests created through lobbying are influencing the administration’s reluctance to respond to attempts to revise history and deny the Srebrenica genocide.

Meanwhile, a deadlock continues in diplomatic circles over the appointment of a successor to the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Washington called for his resignation. Analysts have warned that the situation is contributing to additional instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political environment.