TROIKA INTERFERES IN TRIAL, FEARS THAT DODIK WON’T BE REMOVED FROM POLITICAL LIFE

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 6 /SRNA/ – The defense attorney for the President of Republika Srpska, Goran Bubić, emphasized that the parties forming the "Troika" have interfered in the trial against the President of Republika Srpska and that they fear he will not be eliminated from political life.

"Representatives of the legislative branch continue to create a lynch-mob atmosphere and condemn the President of Republika Srpska, using any means necessary. The narrative that this is a 'political trial, but Dodik must be convicted' is no longer even hidden," Bubić pointed out in a statement.

SRNA is transmitting in full attorney Bubić’s reaction to the statement issued by the caucuses of the "Troika" parties in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly:

The defense attorney carefully read yesterday’s joint statement by the caucuses of the so-called “Troika” parties in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH – consisting of the SDP BiH, People and Justice Party, and Our Party – regarding the criminal proceedings against the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, ahead of the scheduled session of the Appellate Panel of the BiH Court on Thursday, June 12.

In the statement, it says: “…special attention is drawn to the unacceptable pressure, threats, and blackmail that Dodik directs at the Appellate Panel in relation to the second-instance procedure of the BiH Court ahead of the second-instance verdict... We warn Dodik, as well as any domestic or foreign official who might intend to interfere with the work or decision of the Appellate Panel, not to do so…”

Such a statement is condemnable coming from anyone – let alone representatives of the highest level of legislative authority in BiH. With this, they have themselves become entangled in the trial, violating the principle of separation of powers and non-interference of the legislative branch in the judiciary.

This statement constitutes an open threat to the Appellate Panel of the BiH Court, particularly if it accepts the appeal and overturns the first-instance conviction into an acquittal.

President Dodik is a party in the criminal proceedings against him. The accused is a fundamental subject in criminal proceedings, to whom domestic legislation, including incorporated international legal standards, guarantees broad rights. The defense has already "interfered" in the proceedings in line with the BiH Criminal Procedure Code by filing an appeal against the first-instance conviction, which it considers unlawful for numerous reasons. This kind of interference is evidently what the "Troika" found problematic.

On the other hand, following the appeal submission and the later response to the BiH Prosecutor’s appeal, the defense has not made a single public statement for over two months, except to inform the media that the appeal had been filed on time.

We conclude that the "Troika’s" statement only confirms the defense’s previous position that President Dodik is not receiving a fair trial, based on the constitutional and conventional understanding of this standard.

In relation to the "Troika’s" statement, the defense reminds the public of the position of the European Court of Human Rights, which in the case of Coeme and Others v. Belgium found: "What matters here is the confidence which the courts in a democratic society must inspire in the public and above all when talking about the criminal proceedings of the accused. In determining whether there is a legitimate reason to fear that a court is not independent or impartial, the accused's perception is important..."

Not just anyone – but representatives of the legislative branch – are clearly continuing to create a lynch-mob atmosphere and judge President Dodik by any means necessary. The constructed narrative that this is a “political trial, but Dodik must be convicted” is no longer being concealed. Even Interpol’s stance that this is a case of political persecution is being disregarded.

The defense attorney is convinced that such a statement from the “Troika”, especially in the context of a false legislature, a non-existent criminal offense, disregard for their own Constitution, and unbelievable subservience to foreign nationals, only reflects an unfree mind imprisoned in servility, to the detriment of their own citizens. On one hand, they label the Dayton Agreement – and thus the Constitution of BiH – as a "straitjacket" (plagiarizing someone else’s statement), and on the other hand, they attack President Dodik, who is a true defender of the Constitution.

The "Troika" only supports the imprisonment of the state of BiH – something its peoples and citizens have done nothing to deserve.

There is no legal basis for the imprisonment of President Dodik, which they are not only calling for but threatening consequences if it does not happen. This is likely one of the motives behind such a statement. The “Troika’s” fear is evident – fear that President Dodik will not be removed from political life in BiH, due to this deceitful maneuver of the illegitimate Mr. Schmidt to the BiH judiciary.