Bosnia and Herzegovina - February 2025

On 26 February, the Parliament of Republika Srpska (RS), one of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s two federal entities, approved legislation rejecting BiH’s state-level justice and police authorities, barring them from exercising jurisdiction in the entity. The move followed the BiH state court’s sentencing of RS President Milorad Dodik to one year in prison, with a six-year ban on holding political office, the previous day. Dodik was convicted of undermining the central government’s authority and failing to comply with the decisions of the Office of the High Representative, the body responsible for overseeing the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian war. The law targets BiH’s state court, prosecutor’s office and police force, as well as the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (VSTV) responsible for appointing the country’s judges and prosecutors. Dodik dismissed the ruling and stepped up secessionist rhetoric at a rally in Banja Luka. Dodik was given two weeks to appeal the ruling. 

UPDATE: On 7 March, Republika Srpska police raided the State Investigation and Protection Agency’s (Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national police service) Banja Luka office. On 12 March, BiH’s state-level prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for RS President Milorad Dodik, as well as the Prime Minister and National Assembly Speaker, citing an attack on the constitutional order. Dodik rejected the warrant’s validity and refuses to recognise BiH’s state-level Prosecutor’s Office. The state-level Constitutional Court temporarily suspended the RS laws banning the operation of state-level security and judicial institutions in RS. The European peacekeeping force, EUFOR, has announced plans to strengthen its presence in response to the tensions. 

Sources: European Western Balkans, International IDEA, Balkan Insight, Novinite, Office of the High Representative, RS National Assembly 

New Sources: Euronews, Deutsche Welle, Balkan Insight