The Bosnian prosecutor's office, whose activities are prohibited in the territory of Republika Srpska, has issued arrest warrants for the president of this federal entity Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Višković and Parliament Speaker Nenad Stevandić. They are accused of "attacking the constitutional order", the Bosnian ATV television reported, BTA reports.
On February 26, Milorad Dodik was sentenced by a Bosnian court to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity for failing to comply with the decisions of the high representative of the international community, Christian Schmidt. In response, the following day, the Republika Srpska parliament passed laws banning the operation of Bosnian courts and prosecutors, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) on its territory.
On Friday, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed a temporary measure suspending the implementation of these laws, deeming them to be contrary to the country's constitution and the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Prosecutor Čazim Hasanspahić has ordered the judicial police to execute the arrest warrant for Dodik, Višković, and Stevandić. He has requested assistance from the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior and SIPA, although the agency's activities are officially banned in that part of Bosnia.
Dodik's lawyer, Goran Bubić, said that the arrest warrant has not yet been served on his client.
According to the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war (1992-1995), the country is divided into two semi-autonomous parts - Republika Srpska, populated mainly by Bosnian Serbs, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and Bosnian Croats live.
Each part has its own government, parliament and police, but the two entities share common state institutions, including a judiciary, army, security services and tax administration. The High Representative of the international community has broad powers, including the power to impose laws, appoint and dismiss civil servants, and take measures to maintain constitutional order.