Milorad Dodik
© Global Look Press / Nedim GrabovicaBosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik
Russia has denounced the conviction of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik by a court in Sarajevo, describing it as an "absolutely political" decision. The move could have wide-reaching repercussions for the entire Balkan region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

A Bosnian court sentenced Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, to one year in prison on Wednesday. He was charged with obstructing decisions made by Bosnia's constitutional court and defying the authority of international envoy Christian Schmidt. A German national, Schmidt was formally tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that concluded the Bosnian war. Moscow questions his legitimacy due to what it considers to be appointment irregularities.

"We condemn such actions because they can have very negative consequences not just for Bosnia and Herzegovina but for the Balkans as a whole," Peskov told journalists on Thursday, referring to the court decision. "These actions could lead to destabilization," he added.

The Kremlin spokesman also condemned the court ruling as persecution of not just the Bosnian Serb leader but "all the patriotic Serb forces." According to Peskov, the decision was based on a "pseudo-law" pushed through by Schmidt. The Bosnian court ruled that Dodik acted illegally when he signed laws making the peace envoy's decrees illegal in Republika Srpska and suspended the enforcement of Bosnia's top court rulings on its territory.

Schmidt's appointment as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina has never received the approval of the UN Security Council, which is typically required in such cases, Peskov said. The official was appointed by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) - an international body charged with implementing the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement - back in 2021.

Russia and China officially stated that they did not recognize Schmidt's legitimacy due to the irregularities in his appointment. On Thursday, Peskov branded the official "an imposter" and called on the Bosnian authorities to go back to the "spirit" of the Dayton agreements.

Dodik himself did not attend his sentencing and announced plans for the Republika Srpska National Assembly to reject the court's decision and prohibit the enforcement of any rulings from Bosnia's state judiciary within its territory. He added that Republika Srpska would obstruct the operations of Bosnia's central government and police within its jurisdiction.

The politician has two weeks to appeal the verdict, although it is unclear if he plans to do so. The court ruling was also condemned by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who talked to Dodik following the verdict. The Hungarian leader branded it a "political witch hunt."