The trial of the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and the acting director of the Official Gazette of Srpska, Miloš Lukić, will continue tomorrow before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated Dodik’s defense attorney, Goran Bubić.
Bubić told Srna that tomorrow’s session will involve the presentation of evidence by the defense of the second accused, Lukić, and a rebuttal of the Prosecution’s evidence depending on the available time.
The trial will resume at 1:00 PM before Judge Sena Uzunović, as the Criminal Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected the defense’s request last week for Uzunović’s disqualification.
Following that decision, Bubić expressed that it was not surprising the request for Uzunović’s disqualification was not granted, as the ongoing trial at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not about upholding the rule of law but rather about eliminating Dodik from the political landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He emphasized that the request for disqualification was submitted due to the judge’s behavior during the main hearing.
“The defense argued that we did not receive a submission from the Court that was faxed, and such delivery is not permitted under the Criminal Procedure Code. The fact is that the submission was never printed by my fax machine, and a technical expert from the Court confirmed that this could have occurred due to a number of technical reasons,” Bubić explained.
The trial of Dodik and Lukić was halted on Wednesday, October 9, while the Court’s Panel considered the disqualification request for Uzunović.
During the session, tensions in the courtroom nearly escalated, with Judge Uzunović asserting her right to raise her voice and not allowing Dodik to speak or raise objections.
Uzunović even threatened to remove Dodik from the courtroom and warned him that he would not be able to leave the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After the hearing, Dodik remarked that it was evident that U.S. Ambassador Michael Murphy had exerted pressure on the Court and demanded a swift conclusion to the trial against him.
“They are trying to convict us of obstructing the process, which is not true. According to their logic, I should have been convicted 15 days before even entering the courtroom, yet I have the right to defend myself, and that defense has been hindered by the behavior of the judges,” Dodik said, adding that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina operates like an inquisition. He further stated that neither the Constitution provides for the existence of the Court nor the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as these institutions were created by foreigners.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is prosecuting Milorad Dodik and Miloš Lukić for “non-compliance with the decisions of Christian Schmidt,” which is why the trial is being held before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: Glas Srpske
