Promising Freedom from the State, Bosnian Serb Leader Curbs Liberties

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has told Serbs in the entity that they will be liberated from Bosnian state control. At the same time, he has been rapidly restricting their freedoms while threatening to prosecute dissenters.

While the furore continues over the warrant issued by the state authorities for the arrest of Milorad Dodik, the Republika Srpska National Assembly has been passing laws that restrict public liberties after already targeting civil society activists and journalists in recent months – even as Dodik vows that people will be free from Bosnian state control.

Last week, the ruling majority adopted the Law on the Protection of the Constitutional Order of Republika Srpska. Under this legislation, the authorities get more power to collect data and investigate alleged attempts to undermine them or threaten the Serb-dominated entity’s security.

The legislation also criminalises “disrespect or non-execution of decisions of institutions or bodies of Republika Srpska”, as well as “other criminal acts that indirectly or directly threaten the constitutional order and territorial integrity of Republika Srpska”. It envisages the establishment of a new Special Prosecution and a Court of Republika Srpska.

The new laws were adopted the week after the state prosecution on March 12 issued arrest warrants for Republika Srpska President Dodik, entity Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and National Assembly speaker Nenad Stevandic./BI/