A court in Bosnia has issued an international arrest warrant through Interpol for Milorad Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska, the Serb political entity that, along with the Bosniak-Croat Federation, makes up Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the warrant, the 66-year-old Dodik is accused of "attacking the constitutional order" of the country.
In recent weeks, following a Bosnian court ruling against him, Dodik has led a series of bold moves aimed at detaching Republika Srpska from Bosnia's central institutions—possibly in preparation for a future unification with Serbia. "Come on, try to stop us!" he declared in a recent speech to supporters, as national law enforcement authorities tried to bring him into custody. Experts warn the current crisis is the gravest threat to Bosnia’s stability and peace in the Balkans since the wars of the 1990s.
Dodik has served as the political leader of the Bosnian Serbs since 2006. In February, he was convicted of defying the orders of the international high representative overseeing the peace agreement that governs Bosnia’s two political entities. A court sentenced him to one year in prison and barred him from holding public office for six years.
In response, Republika Srpska’s local parliament passed laws banning Bosnia’s national police, courts and intelligence services from operating within its territory, which accounts for 49 percent of Bosnia. As a result, Bosnian prosecutors issued arrest warrants for Dodik, the entity’s prime minister and its parliamentary speaker.
All three refused to appear for questioning. Dodik declared he does not recognize the authority of the Bosnian prosecutor's office and considers the warrant void. Republika Srpska’s interior minister said local police would enforce the new laws and prevent central government forces from operating in the entity, stating, “No one will be arrested, everyone will be protected.”
Despite the warrant, Dodik traveled to Serbia earlier this week and from there flew to Jerusalem to participate in Chikli’s conference. According to his X (formerly Twitter) account, during his visit he toured the site of the Nova music festival massacre near the Gaza border, met with Minister Ze'ev Elkin and Modi’in Mayor Haim Bibas, and attended the antisemitism summit.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was established following the breakup of Yugoslavia, as the republics that made up the former federation sought independence. While Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) and Croats voted in favor of independence, Serbs in Bosnia opposed the move, fearing minority status in a sovereign Bosnia. The conflict that followed, known as the Bosnian War (1992–1995), resulted in around 100,000 deaths. Bosnian Serbs were supported by Serbia, while Bosnian Croats were backed by Croatia.
The war ended with a U.S.-brokered peace agreement, which created a unified Bosnia consisting of two political entities: the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska. Each has its own parliament, government, police, and judiciary. The Bosniak-Croat Federation is further divided into cantons, each with its own local government.
