Bosnia tensions build as Serb leader is sentenced for undermining peace

BELGRADE — A foul-mouthed Bosnian Serb leader who has been a central figure in nearly two decades of instability and controversy could soon be barred from political office — and even face jail time, pending a possible appeal.

A top state-level court in Sarajevo on Wednesday sentenced Milorad Dodik, president of a Serb-majority federal entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to one year in prison and barred him from politics for six years for pushing through legislation in defiance of the country’s Constitutional Court and circumventing established legal procedures. Dodik has two weeks to appeal the ruling.

Christian Schmidt, head of the international community’s Office of the High Representative (OHR), was the first to attempt to stop Dodik in July 2023, using his authority as peace envoy to intervene. But Dodik refused to back down.

Wednesday’s verdict marked the first time since the bloody 1992-1995 conflict in the former Yugoslavia that local courts — rather than the OHR — have moved to rein in Dodik, raising fears of violent escalation in a country where ethnic tensions still shape politics and institutions hesitate to challenge corrupt nationalist leaders.

In a statement following the conviction, the court stressed it had faced “significant pressure from the public and political actors,” underscoring the precarious precedent set by the verdict.

Bosnia is held together by an internationally brokered peace deal, known as the Dayton Accords, which later became the country’s constitution. The pact grants extensive powers and protections to all its ethnic groups.

Law enforcement was out in force in Sarajevo, the capital, while Dodik’s supporters protested in the regional capital of Banja Luka, with some camping out overnight.

Dodik — who has several other active cases against him for genocide denial and unconstitutional actions — seemed jovial after the verdict.

“We must be cheerful,” he said in a statement. “They say that I am guilty … there’s no reason to worry.” His insouciance highlighted — as it has on many occasions — that he does not recognize the court’s authority.

The burly ultranationalist, nicknamed “the Bosnian Bear” for his physique and crude antics, has long claimed that Bosnian institutions unfairly target ethnic Serbs and should not be taken seriously.

Wednesday’s verdict marked the first time since the bloody 1992-1995 conflict in the former Yugoslavia that local courts — rather than the OHR. | Elvis Barukcic/Getty Images

He has frequently enlisted maverick allies: Former New York City mayor, Donald Trump loyalist and disbarred lawyer Rudy Giuliani was flown to Banja Luka for an extensive interview on his podcast before the verdict, while figures such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have often supported Dodik’s anti-Western rhetoric.

Dodik’s actions often reverberate widely in a region still dominated by ethnic politics.

In response to the verdict, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić convened a security council meeting in Belgrade and planned to visit Banja Luka personally on Wednesday evening.