Bosnia and Herzegovina - June 2025

On 9 June, Milan Miličević, mayor of Teslić and then head of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), the largest opposition party in Republika Srpska (RS), was arrested in an anti-corruption operation led by the RS Ministry of the Interior. Two  local officials, including the Deputy Speaker of the Teslić Assembly, were also arrested by RS police. The Prosecutor’s Office in Banja Luka reported approximately BAM 400,000 (EUR 200,000) were seized in a search of Miličević’s home. RS opposition parties condemned the arrests as political intimidation, and international media and state-level government officials noted a crackdown on dissent in RS. On 13 July, Miličević resigned from his position as party leader, citing intra-party divisions. The Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into charges of influence peddling and bribery. The arrests are the latest development in the broader weakening of the opposition in RS. Watchdogs report that corruption charges against state officials rarely lead to consequences.

Sources: Info Bijeljina, European Western Balkans, Balkan Insight, SRNA, Klix.ba, International IDEA