(25 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Banja Luka, Bosnia – 25 February 2025
1. Supporters listening to the national anthem at rally
2. Close of placard depicting Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik reading (Serbian) “the people love their president, dear God protects Milorad Dodik”
3. Mid of people holding Republic of Srpska flags, banner reading (Serbian) "(High Representative Christian) Schmidt is a tourist!”
4. Republic of Srpska flags
5. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Dragana Delic, Milorad Dodik supporter:
”People of the Republic of Srpska surely tonight are sending the clear message that we stand by our president and tonight we all can be sure that the Republic of Srpska has an answer to everything that will happen tomorrow. We are sure that whatever the verdict, it will bring many things. Of course, we expect the best outcome, that the president won’t be convicted, but even if it happens, we are sure that the Republic of Srpska has the ready answer to that, and we are sure that our leaders know what they are doing, and that the Serbian people can be safe.”
6. Supporters applauding during rally
7. Supporter holding banner reading (Serbian) "President, no one can do anything to you”
8. Supporters applauding during rally
9. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Radovan Siljak, Milorad Dodik supporter:
”They are judging our president, because they want to leave us without homes, to expel us from this area. That will never happen. All the people here said that they love their country, and everything that belongs to them. We are a good neighborly people, we wish everyone well, good neighborhood, good agreement, respect for what is written in the law and the constitution.”
10. Various of supporters at rally
11. SOUNDBITE (Serbian): Mile Vukajlovic, Milorad Dodik supporter
”We came here today, and we will come tomorrow as well. We should defend our Republic, because it was born from blood and regarding the president, no one can do anything to him, we are here, it is impossible to judge something like that.”
12. Supporters at rally applauding
STORYLINE:
Supporters of separatist Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik rallied on Tuesday as tensions soared on the eve of a scheduled court verdict that could order the pro-Russia Serb leader banned from politics or even sentenced to prison.
A court hearing in Bosnia is set for Wednesday to hand down the ruling in a yearlong case against Dodik on charges that he disobeyed the top international envoy overseeing peace in the Balkan country.
If convicted, Dodik could face up to five years in prison and a ban from engaging in politics for up to 10 years.
Dodik has said that he would disobey any conviction and threatened “radical measures” in response, including eventual secession of the Serb-run entity in Bosnia called Republika Srpska from the rest of the country.
Bosnia’s civil war pitted Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslims, Serbs and Croats against each other and ended with a U.S.-sponsored peace agreement in 1995 that created two regions, Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation.
The two regions were given wide autonomy, but kept some joint institutions, including the army, top judiciary and tax administration. Bosnia also has a rotating three-member presidency made up of Bosniak, Serb and Croat members.
Dodik said that he wouldn’t attend Friday’s court hearing. He’s unlikely to be sent to prison, because he enjoys the full support of Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, who can provide shelter to him in Belgrade. Dodik is also expected to appeal a possible conviction.
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