BUBIĆ: FIRST-INSTANCE VERDICT DELIVERED TO THE PRESIDENT OF SRPSKA THIS MORNING

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 26 /SRNA/ - The first-instance verdict of the unconstitutional Court of BiH was delivered this morning to the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, the President's lawyer Goran Bubić confirmed to SRNA.

Bubić said that the defense team, when it comes to the appeal, stands by its earlier statements.

Earlier, he told SRNA that an appeal against the first-instance verdict will be filed, stressing that the process for disobeying Christian Schmidt's decisions is a serious illegality that cannot be left in legal life.

The deadline for the appeal is 15 days and Bubić said that it can be extended for another 15 days on a request from the party.

Bubić said that even the laws in force in Republika Srpska will not affect the appeal, because the judgment was passed before they came into force.

He pointed out that the President has nothing to do with filing the complaint, but emphasized that Dodik did not evoke revoke the power of attorney.

"He said that he was no longer interested in it, but he did not revoke the power of attorney," Bubić explained.

On February 26, the unconstitutional Court of BiH convicted the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik for "failure to execute decisions" Christian Schmidt and sentenced him to one year in prison and a ban on the performance of the duties of the President of the Republic for six years from the date of the verdict.

By that verdict, the acting director of the Official Gazette of the Republika Srpska Miloš Lukić, who was tried in the same case, was acquitted.