Vučić after Dodik's conviction: Serbia has not been in such a difficult situation since 2008

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that his country's National Security Council will meet after the Court in Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced the president of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, Milorad Dodik, with a final verdict.

According to Vučić, after this decision made by the judiciary in Bosnia, Serbia has not been in a "such a difficult" situation and has not faced "such great pressure" since 2008.

As he said, since 2008 – when Kosovo declared independence, a decision that Belgrade refuses to accept – Serbia has faced a series of crises, with floods, the migrant crisis, the coronavirus, the war in Ukraine, "various provocations that have been made in Kosovo, attacks on Srebrenica" and many others.

On August 1, Dodik was sentenced by a final decision for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative.

The trial panel has confirmed the first instance verdict of February 26, by which Milorad Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban on exercising political functions.

"Our entire state - the state leadership and I personally - are under great pressure today. All afternoon, from foreigners, who want Serbia's reaction," Vučić said.

Vucic said that he has called an urgent meeting of the National Security Council for Saturday on the issue of Dodik's sentencing.

The court in Bosnia and Herzegovina said that the verdict was sent to the parties on August 1 and no appeal is allowed against it.

Dodik, at an extraordinary press conference in Banja Luka, said he does not accept the sentence.

"The RS institutions will determine their position on this issue. I will accept any decision of the Parliament, but I do not accept this decision," Dodik said.

He warned that the RS Assembly will adopt new decisions and that a "clear plan to get out of this situation" must be drafted, without providing details on what decisions are in question.

During this conference, Dodik said that he expects Serbia's support and that he will also address Russia and the United States of America.

Meanwhile, Dodik's lawyer warned that they will appeal to the Constitutional Court in Bosnia to overturn this verdict.

Dodik has been found guilty of signing the decree promulgating laws that had previously been annulled by the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.

With these laws, the legislative bodies of Republika Srpska had attempted to prevent the implementation of decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the High Representative in the territory of this entity.

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