A billboard of support for Vulin on BiH mountain Romania

A billboard in support of Aleksandar Vulin, Director of the Security-Information Agency (BIA) of Serbia, recently sanctioned by the United States of America (USA), has been erected on Mount Romania.

On 11 July, the US Treasury Department placed Vulin on its sanctions list for alleged corruption and involvement in drug trafficking and ties with Russia.

It is not known who put up the billboard that says “Support for your brother, your Romania”.

On the billboard there is a photograph of Aleksandar Vulin on the left and a painted flag with the coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia on the right.

The billboard has been put up following the announcement that students from the Faculty of Criminology, Criminology and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo, who glorified war criminals and spread hatred on 11 July, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, would continue their education in the Serbian capital.

This was stated on 15 July by Nedeljko Elek, Director General of “Sarajevo-Gas”, who said that they would continue their studies at the National Security Academy in Belgrade at the invitation of Aleksandar Vulin.

The BiH Prosecutor’s Office opened a case against two female students following a complaint by the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton after one of them raised three fingers on Instagram wearing a T-shirt with the image of the “Chetnik duke” Mitar Maksimović.

The other posted a photo of the RS Army warlord Ratko Mladić, convicted of war crimes in BiH, with the caption “Sentenced to immortality. You were and will remain our hero.”

Glorification of war crimes is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 11 July, the 28th anniversary of the genocide was commemorated in Srebrenica.

A commemoration and a group funeral for 30 more victims took place.

Dodik’s support for Vulin after sanctions

On 11 July, Milorad Dodik, President of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska, which is also under US sanctions, backed Vulin.

Dodik said this was “a reward for his patriotism and perseverance in maintaining friendly relations with Russia and the Russian people”.

He recalled that he too had been sanctioned by the US because, he claimed, the Republika Srpska was against the imposition of sanctions against Russia and had defended a neutral stance.

Dodik was twice blacklisted by the US, first in 2017 for obstructing the Dayton Peace Agreement, and then last January the US imposed additional sanctions on him for his involvement in corruption and undermining the Dayton Agreement. The UK has also imposed sanctions against Dodik.

What does the sanctions decision say?

The US Treasury Department’s decision states that Aleksandar Vulin is involved in transnational organised crime, illegal drug-related activities and abuse of public function.

Vulin was appointed Head of the National Security Service – Security Information Agency in December 2022.

On 10 May, the European Parliament adopted a resolution expressing concern about the appointment of Vulin to head the BIA, who is described in the text of the resolution as a person “known for his anti-EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric”.

Vulin is known to the general public for his harsh rhetoric towards neighbours in the region and his friendship towards Russia.

In one of the latest criticisms of him, the embassies of Ukraine and the US in Serbia, as well as the EU, criticised Vulin’s participation in an international security conference in Moscow in May this year.

Serbia is one of the few European countries that has not joined the policy of sanctions against Russia, due to the invasion launched by that country against Ukraine in February 2022./RSE/