Germany, Austria say Dodik and his two associates will sanction

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and his two close associates will have access to Germany and Austria banned because they have sparked a constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the ministers of these two countries in a communiqué said Thursday.

Austria's Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl Reissinger, and German State Minister for Europe and Kliman Anna Luhrmann, made these comments after a meeting Thursday in Sarajevo with Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers Chairman Boryana Christo, reports REL broadcast. Periscope.

In March, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued national arrests for the three leaders of Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska: President Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevsa persecuted.

They are accused of violating Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional order by their actions.

All three have ignored the authorities ' calls for questioning.

Beate Meinl Reissinger and Anna Luhrmann said attacks on Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional integrity by the leading politicians of Republika Srpska, “who knowingly weaken the state, are unacceptable and pose a threat to the security and stability of Bosnia and the entire region”.

“Therefore, Austria and Germany, in close co-ordination with other partners, are firmly rejecting politicians responsible from the entity of Republika Srpska. To that end, measures are under way that will prevent the entry of three politicians responsible from Republika Srpska to Austria and Germany in the future”, said their communiqué.

Dodik is under sanctions from the United States and the United Kingdom, but the European Union has so far been unable to find common language for sanctions against him due to opposition from its member, Hungary.

Western governments believe Dodik's actions are aimed at dividing the Republika Srpska from Bosnia.

Dodik was sentenced in February to one year in prison and denied the exercise of office for six years because of ignoring the international High Representative's decisions.

In response, the Parliamentary Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted laws banning the work of the Court, Prosecutor, State Investigation Agency (SIPA) as well as Bosnia's High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council on the territory of this entity.

Dodik decreed those laws on March 5th.

Republika Srpska passed a draft of the new constitution in March, which would define this entity as a state of the Serbian people, give the right to self-rule and establish its army.

All of this directly conflicts with the Bosnian Constitution and the Dayton Peace Agreement, which defined Republika Srpska as one of Bosnia's two entities.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitutional Court declared these laws unconstitutional.

These actions of the Republika Srpska have been condemned almost worldwide by US Secretary of State Marko Rubio, to the chief of staff NATO Mark Rutte and several foreign embassies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitution, Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation are entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they do not enjoy state competencies. Therefore, sovereignty and territorial integrity are reserved only for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and not for its entities.

During his term as president of the Republika Srpska, Dodik has faced criticism of authoritarian tendencies, miniming democratic institutions and creating a political security culture.