Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Sentenced, Political Ban Upheld Amid Crisis

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has had his one-year prison sentence and six-year political ban upheld by Bosnia's appeals court for defying rulings from the international High Representative overseeing the Dayton Peace Agreement. Dodik, who has long opposed the authority of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and sought greater autonomy for Republika Srpska with separatist ambitions, dismissed the verdict as politically motivated and vowed to continue his role with the support of the Bosnian Serb parliament. The court ruling has exacerbated Bosnia's political crisis, with the Republika Srpska parliament passing laws to limit the central government's authority, though these were annulled by Bosnia's constitutional court. Dodik has sought support from Serbia, Russia, and the United States amid the escalating tensions. The European Union has called for respect of the court's independence and impartiality, urging all parties to uphold the verdict. Despite voluntarily appearing before prosecutors in Sarajevo, Dodik remains a central figure in the fragile post-war political landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethnic divisions persist nearly three decades after the 1995 peace accords.