A Bosnian state-level court has sentenced Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, to one year in prison and banned him from holding the presidential post in the entity for six years, it said in a statement on February 26.

The court ruling adds to tensions within Bosnia & Herzegovina, where Dodik has already threatened that Republika Srpska, the country’s Serb entity, will secede in case of a guilty verdict.

The court decided not to allow a live broadcast of its February 26 session due to escalating tensions in Republika Srpska. As of the afternoon of February 26, a protest is ongoing in the entity’s administrative capital Banja Luka.

“[I]n relation to the accused Milorad Dodik the court delivered a judgment of conviction, finding him guilty of the criminal offence of Failure to Implement Decisions of the High Representative under Article 203.a(1) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Bosnian court said in the statement on its first instance verdict.

“The Court sentenced the accused Milorad Dodik to one (1) year of imprisonment, and imposed on him a security measure of ban on holding the office of president of Republika Srpska over a period of six (6) years, running from the day when the Judgment becomes final,” it added.

In the same case, the acting director of Republika Srpska’s State Gazette, Milos Lukic, was acquitted, the court also noted.

The case concerned Dodik and Lukic’s refusal to comply with High Representative Christian Schmidt's ban on putting into force a 2023 law adopted in Republika Srpska rejecting the authority of the Bosnian Constitutional Court. 

Dodik refused to attend the court session and chose to participate in a rally in Banja Luka instead. In his first reaction, he said that Serbs should celebrate.

"Rejoice. We have to be happy, I was sentenced to their prison for a year. They say I am guilty, now people here will say why I am not," Dodik said at the rally as quoted by N1 news outlet.

"There is no reason to worry, I have learned to deal with difficult things. It is important to me that you are here and I will carry this image in my eyes," he added.

In a later statement, Dodik said that during the day Republika Srpska’s parliament will adopt decisions defying the authority of the state-level prosecution, court and all other judicial authorities.

He claimed that the judge Sena Uzunovic, who led the trial against him, had requested a bribe to acquit him. 

“When you see Schmidt, tell the police so that we arrest him and kick him out of here. He does not deserve to pass through Serbian land, he deserves to be stoned, no matter what you tell me, he committed violence first, I have the right to defend myself. And we shall defend ourselves at every step. No one will be persecuted for it. Today, we shall defend and protect our constitution with our police and our judiciary. This is the right of Republika Srpska," Dodik said.

He added that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban called him to show support.

“May Vucic come to Banja Luka tomorrow to agree on what shall we do. As of today, there is no more Bosnia & Herzegovina. We offer you a constitutional Bosnia & Herzegovina. Even shorter. The parliament will make a decision to reject the verdict,” Dodik said.