“The trial against me at the Court of BiH is political, not legal,” said the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
“There is no legal basis for this. The fact is that a foreigner who wasn’t elected changes laws while protecting their own deeds, claiming that anyone who doesn’t comply with what he says, just because he’s some invented deity, will face imprisonment for six months to five years,” Dodik told HRT.
He stated that this speaks more about BiH, emphasizing that the country is absurd.
“That’s the case here too. This speaks more about BiH, a country that doesn’t exist, which is absurd, which isn’t organized. No foreigner can change legislation; this cannot pass anywhere,” Dodik said.
He quoted Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić and emphasized that when you enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, logic ceases.
“Everything leads to that Andrić quote: ‘When you enter Bosnia and Herzegovina – logic ceases.’ There’s no logic here. You have a court and prosecution at the BiH level that lacks constitutional grounds because the BiH Constitution did not grant BiH the right to judiciary. It was imposed by decisions that are not in line with the Constitution or Dayton,” Dodik said.
Training camps: They don’t exist, but there is serious information about “džemats”
Dodik also commented on claims by the Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers, Zukan Helez, that training camps for paramilitary groups are located in the territory of Republika Srpska.
“A convenient lie that has been circulating for a long time. A false narrative about Russian influence. This is for the frightened citizens of Brussels, where I am heading today. If you don’t have electricity on one street, Putin is to blame, not local authorities. A convenient lie. There are no camps, no paramilitary formations. If you have EUFOR, the forces responsible for security in BiH and monitoring the situation, and when they say there’s none, what more can I explain,” Dodik stated.
He added, however, that there is serious information about the presence of former ISIS fighters in BiH.
“On the other hand, there is serious information about ‘džemats’ and ‘paradžemats,’ foreign fighters, those who were in ISIS and then returned, and their families. That’s a genesis that exists, it lingers, and it hasn’t disappeared,” Dodik added.
On the Relationship with Croatia
Asked whether Republika Srpska is leading toward secession, Dodik joked that it would be more likely for the rest of BiH to secede from Republika Srpska.
“I think that the other part of BiH will secede from Srpska before we do from them,” Dodik said.
He also commented on the relationship with President Zoran Milanović. He asserted that Milanović is a consistent politician who understands things well and shares the same values.
“Milanović is a consistent president. I enjoy talking to him. He is always informal, and that makes him interesting. A man who protects the interests of his country. Croatia is a signatory of the Dayton Agreement and, therefore, a guarantor of that agreement. It’s unfair that it was excluded, just like Serbia, from the decision-making process through the Peace Implementation Council in BiH,” Dodik noted.
“When it comes to BiH, the logic ends. Whenever you try to speak abstractly, you risk getting into trouble. I have been talking to Čović for many years. We’ve never reached a point where we were angry, where something agreed upon was not respected. There are no petty tricks as with Izetbegović. Čović, I, and everyone else will confirm this,” Dodik said.
“These are the results of the Americans making favorites out of them for a long time. They always know that the Americans will stand behind them to the detriment of Croats and Serb. They always have a comfortable position, so they can even lie,” Dodik added.”
Source: RTRS
