West seeks to investigate violations over Republika Srpska's unconstitutional agenda

The international community has called for an investigation into any violation of the law concerning the signing of the Republika Srpska unconstitutional day on January 9th.

The ceremony for marking this unconstitutional day starts at 5: 00 a.m. in Banja Luka.

Republika Srpska's entity authorities celebrate January 9th, the date when, in 1992, in Sarajevo, the then Assembly of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Declaration of the Serb People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitutional Court has ruled three times that the January 9th celebration of Republika Srpska Day is unconstitutional.

The purpose of the time was for this territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Yugoslavia, which was breaking up. At the helm of the self-declared republic were Radovan Karadzic, Bilana Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik, who have been convicted of war crimes by The Hague's Tribunali. Representatives of Bosniaks and Croats had not participated in the adoption of the declaration.

These two peoples see January 9th as the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the beginning of ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide against the non-Serb population on the territory of Republika Srpska.

The United States expects law enforcement and judicial agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina to take quick and decisive steps to investigate any legal violations concerning the observance of the unconstitutional day of Republika Srpska on January 9th, the American Embassy announced through an X post.

The American Embassy also said that the Constitutional Court's decisions are based on law, not opinion.

All entities are obliged to fully adhere to the decisions of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court. Disrespecting these decisions constitutes criminal acts according to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Criminal Code”, it was said in response.

The European Union delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, on the occasion of celebrating Republika Srpska's unconstitutional day, called on political leaders of this entity to reject provocative rhetoric, including challenging sovereignty, territorial integrity and the country's integrity.

“The EU stresses the obligation to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order, including Constitutional Court decisions, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina's” international subjectivity, the EU delegation's statement in Bosnia and Herzegovina said.

High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt recalled that the January 9th celebration of Republika Srpska Day is a clear and direct violation of the implementation of final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the decisions of the July 1st, 2023 high representative. He warned that disrespecting the Constitutional Court's decisions could constitute criminal acts, according to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Criminal Code.

Schmidt added that it is the responsibility of law enforcement bodies, the Bosnia and Herzegovina and police prosecution to take the measures stipulated by law, especially in cases related to public officials and civil servants and their participation in preparing or organising the January 9th celebration.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitutional Court has not rejected the right of Republika Srpska having a day of its own, but it has concluded that the Republika Srpska Day “cannot be January 9th, the date corresponding to events in Sarajevo in 1992.

Meanwhile, the European Union has called on Serbia to be equally committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina's European perspective as a unified, united and sovereign country, just like all other international partners.

In the event that representatives of state institutions of the Republic of Serbia are participating in celebrating the unconstitutional day of Republika Srpska, from Brussels were told that regional co-operation and good neighbourly relations are an essential part of progress towards European integration.

“Should avoid actions and statements that negatively affect good neighbourly relations and contribute to political divisions”, Free Europe Radio from the EU Media Office told him in the written response.

Representatives from Serbia regularly participate in the celebration of this day in Republika Srpska. / REL