Milorad Dodik leads the entity known as Republika Srpska, home to a majority Serbian population and constituting one-half of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He faces allegations for challenging the post-war structure set in place in 1995.
On Thursday, a court in Bosnia issued an international arrest warrant.
Milorad Dodik
the leader of the Serbian portion of the nation.
Last month, Dodik prohibited police forces affiliated with Bosnia’s national government from functioning within the territory of Republika Srpska, which is the Serbian entity of the nation.
order was then suspended
by the Constitutional Court.
Pro-Russian Dodik has consistently threatened to sever the Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This endangers the Dayton Accords, which were negotiated to establish peace in Bosnia after sectarian conflict destabilized the area when Yugoslavia disintegrated.
The accord reached in 1995 created two main bodies—the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consisting of Croats and Muslims, along with the Republika Srpska inhabited primarily by Bosnian Serbs—forming the unified country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dodik disregards arrest warrant as tensions escalate
Dodik and another senior figure from Republika Srpska faced accusations of undermining the constitutional order following their actions the previous month.
A
Last week, a court in Bosnia issued an internal arrest warrant.
For Dodik and the two other leading officials from Republika Srpska.
However, both Dodik and the other official implicated in the case disregarded the directive and went overseas.
This week, Dodik entered neighboring Serbia and subsequently journeyed to Israel for an antisemitism conference in Jerusalem on Thursday.
The court stated in a release on Thursday that “all these factors indicate that either person might be overseas at any time, thus justifying further steps.” The case has now been handed over to the international law enforcement organization Interpol.
A court in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia,
Last month, Dodik was handed a one-year jail term.
for challenging the nation’s leading international supervisor and prohibiting him from holding office for six years.
However, Dodik and his supporters claim they do not acknowledge the legitimacy of the Bosnian prosecution office and therefore refuse to travel to Sarajevo for any questioning.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
Author: Roshni Majumdar (with Reuters, AP)