Russia 'deeply disappointed' by ruling in Dodik case

MOSCOW:  The Russian side is deeply disappointed by the decision of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Appeals Panel of the Court which on August 1 up...

MOSCOW:  The Russian side is deeply disappointed by the decision of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Appeals Panel of the Court which on August 1 upheld the earlier guilty verdict in the criminal case against President Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska (one of the two constituent entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary.

"We are deeply disappointed by the unjust and anti-democratic decision by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Appeals Panel of the Court which on August 1 upheld the earlier absurd guilty verdict in a cooked-up criminal case against President Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). We have already repeatedly noted that criminal prosecution of the elected head of the Serbian BiH entity had been ‘ordered’ by the forces that have nothing to do not only with justice but also with Bosnia and Herzegovina itself and which aims exclusively to remove from the political stage the unwanted leader who consistently resists Western neocolonialism," the diplomat noted.

Zakharova emphasized that the Russian side resolutely supports Republica Srpska’s legitimate government agencies which aim to protect their constitutional status in accordance with the 1995 General Framework (Dayton) Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and equality of three state-constituting nations and two entities with significant authority enshrined in it.

"As permanent member of the UN Security council and a Dayton guarantor, the Russian Federation plans to use available political means in order to prevent growing tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina provoked by the West and minimize threats to interethnic dialogue, peace and stability in the country and the region in general. We urge all sides to restore the atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation between the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the diplomat concluded.

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