Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Sentenced, Sparks Political Crisis

Milorad Dodik receives a one-year prison sentence and six-year political ban, intensifying tensions in Bosnia and testing the country's fragile post-war institutions.

Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from politics for six years for defying the authority of Bosnia's international high representative, Christian Schmidt.
Republika Srpska lawmakers responded by passing legislation barring Bosnia's state police and judiciary from operating in the Serb-dominated region, escalating tensions and raising concerns about a constitutional crisis.
The international community, including the European Union and the United States, criticized the legislation and called for respect for Bosnia's constitutional order and the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Russia condemned Dodik's sentencing as politically motivated, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also voiced their support for Dodik.
The situation highlights ongoing challenges to Bosnia's post-war stability, with Dodik's separatist agenda and the response of state institutions likely to shape the nation's political future.