Republika Srpska

KARAN: INTERNATIONAL LAW COLLAPSED THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF BiH

Russia - Saint Petersburg - International Legal Forum

SOURCE: Srna

05/21/2025

14:43

KARAN: INTERNATIONAL LAW COLLAPSED THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF BiH
Photo: SRNA

SAINT PETERSBURG, MAY 21 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska Minister of Internal Affairs Siniša Karan stated to SRNA that his participation in the International Legal Forum in Saint Petersburg was another opportunity to emphasize that international law, based on the principle of equality, has collapsed in the case of BiH due to its selective application and abuse - particularly in relation to the sovereignty of states and peoples.

Karan, who is also a professor of constitutional law, said the forum was informed about the current situation in BiH.

According to him, the forum was made aware that international institutions, former High Representatives, and currently the unelected foreigner Christian Schmidt—unfortunately, with the involvement of certain domestic institutions—have attempted to eliminate the sovereign holders of power: the three constituent peoples and the two entities, which must act as such in both domestic and international contexts.

The primary goal of these attempts, Karan added, is the unitarization of BiH.

"The denial of these sovereign holders, expressed through BiH’s federal structure, and their equal participation in exercising state authority both within BiH and in international relations, is a key aspect of the greatest post-Dayton constitutional and political crisis in BiH. Unfortunately, those who claim to fight for the rule of law are precisely the ones who violate and abuse it," said Karan, who is attending the third day of this international event at the invitation of Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko. The forum gathers around 5,000 legal and security experts.

According to Karan, the solution to this crisis lies in internal dialogue among sovereign holders, adherence to the constitutional order established by the Dayton Peace Agreement, and refraining from foreign interference or imposition.

He stressed that BiH is facing a serious international treaty crisis because the Dayton Peace Agreement - as an international treaty - has been dismantled in many of its annexes, especially Annex 10.

"This situation is further complicated by the principle of pacta sunt servanda, which means that treaties must be implemented, not unilaterally changed. The constitutional crisis arose from the unauthorized transfer of powers from the entities, violating one of the key federal principles. The political crisis stems from Republika Srpska's efforts to preserve its federal constitutional status and position, and from the Bosniaks' political push to turn BiH into a unitary, civic, majority-Bosniak state through informal, anti-Dayton means," Karan said.

He noted that forum participants also concluded that ignoring and denying the sovereignty of the Russian people in Ukraine contributed to the current crisis, and that a federal arrangement for Ukraine would have been one of the best possible solutions to prevent the tragic conflict.