President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik was found guilty by a Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) court on charges of disregarding the decisions of the BiH High Representative. The sentence imposed by the court on Dodik was one year in prison and six years disqualification from holding office.

Milos Lukić, acting. Director of the RS State Gazette, was acquitted of the charges.

The prosecution also accused Lukić of allowing the publication of Dodik's decrees in the RS State Gazette. He was accused of continuing the process of passing laws that stipulated that the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH would not be implemented in the field, nor would the decisions of the highest representative of the international community in BiH be published in the Official Gazette.

Goran Bubic, Dodik's lawyer, previously stated that he would not be present at the verdict in the BiH Court.

"I cannot take part in the humiliation of rights, at least when it is not necessary," Bubic said.

Lukić's lawyer, Milkan Pučar, also did not attend the sentencing.

Earlier, Dodik announced that he would not attend the verdict.

The verdict, however, is in the first instance, which means that Dodik will be able to perform all his functions and that he will be free until a final verdict is handed down by the higher court. | BGNES