JUDGMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT - BEGINNING OF THE DESTRUCTION OF OTHER DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS

EAST SARAJEVO, AUGUST 2 /SRNA/ – The second-instance judgment by the Court of BiH against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik is suspending the presidential institution and the beginning of the dismantling of other democratic institutions, the Republika Srpska Creators Association stated.

The Association told SRNA that this decision represents an attempt to stab Republika Srpska in the back, something that can be prevented through the unity of Serbs and a decisive, unified response. The Association emphasized that it is now more important than ever to lean more heavily on Serbia, as the guarantor of the Dayton Peacde Agreement, as well as on the understanding and support of international allies. "The majority of the Serb people, regardless of whether they support the government or the opposition, will never agree with the decision of the Appellate Division of the Court of BiH that confirmed the convicting judgment against the president of Republika Srpska", the Association stated. It stressed that the Serb people must understand that the suspension of the presidential institution is only the beginning of a broader campaign to undermine other democratic institutions. "Next will come the confiscation of property that currently belongs to us, and the nullification of everything the Dayton Peace Agreement affirmed as part of Republika Srpska", it warned. If BiH were a normal country governed by law and justice, the Association added, this judgment would have been annulled. It argued that the Appellate Panel's decision is not a reflection of strength but of inability to admit that the trial was not independent - rather, it was heavily politically motivated and full of procedural and legal errors. "But keep your heads high! Let’s at least now be united. This will be a long process. We are entering a moment when it is essential to act wisely and decisively - both legally and politically", the Association urged. They added that all legal, democratic, and political means must be used to ensure the survival of what every patriot holds dear: a free, democratic, and equal Republika Srpska. "We are bound to this by all those who created and defended our land with their lives. We are also bound by our youth, whose future is tied to Republika Srpska. We are confident that we can do this, that we have the strength and that because of that, our people can remain calm", the Association concluded. The Appellate Division of the Court of BiH has upheld the first-instance judgment sentencing Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik to one year in prison and a six-year ban from political activity for "non-compliance with the decisions of Christian Schmidt."