FILIPOVIĆ: DEEP CONCERN AMONG SRPSKA CITIZENS IN AUSTRIA OVER CONFIRMED VERDICT AGAINST PRESIDENT DODIK

VIENNA, AUGUST 1 /SRNA/ – Head of the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Austria, Mladen Filipović, told SRNA that the confirmation of the first-instance verdict against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has caused deep concern among Srpska citizens living in Austria and across Europe.

Filipović pointed out that the political context in which the decision was made is particularly troubling, as are the possible consequences it may have for internal stability in BiH. “Republika Srpska is an equal and constituent entity within BiH, and the institution of the president is the foundation of its constitutional, democratic, and political order,” Filipović emphasized. According to him, attacks on a legitimately elected president are also an attempt to undermine the very foundations on which peace achieved through the Dayton Peace Agreement, rests. “Our large diaspora in Austria and across Europe stands firmly with President Dodik and the institutions of Republika Srpska. That support is evident not only through public statements, gatherings, and announcements from our civic associations, but also through daily cooperation with the Representative Office on projects that strengthen economic, cultural, and educational ties with the homeland,” said Filipović. He announced that the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Austria would continue, within its mandate, to actively strengthen ties with the diaspora, and to objectively inform the international public about political developments that directly impact the stability and constitutional order in BiH. “In this context, we strongly support the statement by President Dodik referencing U.S. President Donald Trump, who said, ‘It is time to stop the lies, fraud, slander, and judicial persecution through false indictments against me.’ As President Dodik pointed out, in today's BiH where judicial institutions are being instrumentalized and act on the orders of unelected foreign representatives, those words could have just as well been spoken in Banja Luka,” Filipović said. He expressed confidence that, “in these challenging times, the institutions of Republika Srpska, with the support of its citizens and diaspora, will remain united, responsible, and consistent in defending their constitutional competences and the rights guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement.”