Russia believes that the sentencing of Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik to a year in prison and the political ban he was subjected to are politically motivated actions and could have serious negative and destabilizing consequences for the Balkans. This is reported by "Reuters", reports News.bg.
Yesterday, the State Court of Bosnia convicted Dodik of failing to comply with the orders of an international peace envoy. The court sentenced him to one year in prison and ordered him to step down from the presidency of the Serb-dominated region of the country for a period of six years.
Dodik, who maintains close relations with Russia, has denied the charges and responded with measures to reduce the state presence in the Serb region of Bosnia, including by banning the state prosecutor, the state court and the intelligence agency.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had met Dodik on numerous occasions and maintained a constructive working relationship with him.
“The events that took place in Sarajevo certainly provoke our negative reaction. We condemn such actions because they can lead to serious consequences not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also for the entire Balkan region,“ Peskov warned.
“These actions can lead to destabilization, which would be very harmful. We believe that the persecution of Dodik is of an absolutely political nature and is directed not only against him personally, but also against all patriotic Serbian forces. This is also unacceptable,“ Peskov stressed.