The international community has called for an investigation of any violation of the law related to the marking of the unconstitutional day of the Republika Srpska on January 9.
The ceremony to mark this unconstitutional day starts at 17:00 in Banjalluka.
The authorities of the Republika Srpska entity celebrate January 9, the date when, in 1992, in Sarajevo, the then Assembly of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Declaration declaring the Republic of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled three times that the celebration of January 9 as the Day of the Serbian Republic is unconstitutional.
The goal at that time was for this territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Yugoslavia, which was disintegrating. At the head of the self-proclaimed republic were Radovan Karadžić, Bilana Pllavšić and Momčilo Krajishnik, who were convicted of war crimes by the Hague Tribunal. Representatives of Bosniaks and Croats did not participate in the adoption of the declaration.
These two peoples see January 9 as the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the beginning of ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide against the non-Serb population on the territory of Republika Srpska.
The United States of America expects law enforcement and judicial authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to take swift and decisive steps to investigate any violations of law in connection with the observance of Republika Srpska’s anti-constitutional day on January 9, the US Embassy announced via a post on X.
The American Embassy also said that the decisions of the Constitutional Court are based on the law, not on opinion.
“All entities are obliged to fully adhere to the decisions of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court. Non-compliance with these decisions constitutes a criminal offense according to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, it was said in the reaction.
The delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Wednesday, on the occasion of the celebration of the anti-constitutional day of the Republika Srpska, called on the political leaders of this entity to reject provocative rhetoric, including challenging the sovereignty, territorial integrity and integrity of the country.
“The EU emphasizes the obligation to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order, including the decisions of the Constitutional Court, as well as the international subjectivity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said the statement of the EU delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, recalled that the celebration of January 9 as the Day of the Serbian Republic is a clear and direct violation of the implementation of the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the decisions of the representative of July 1, 2023. He warned that disobeying the decisions of the Constitutional Court may constitute a criminal offense, according to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Schmidt added that it is the responsibility of law enforcement bodies, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Police to take the measures prescribed by law, especially in cases related to public officials and civil servants and their participation in the preparation or organization of the celebration of January 9.
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has not contested the right for the Republic of Serbia to have its own day, but has concluded that the “Day of the Republic of Serbia” cannot be January 9, a date that coincides with the events that took place in Sarajevo in 1992.
Meanwhile, the European Union has called on Serbia to be equally committed to the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a unified, united and sovereign country, just like all other international partners.
On the occasion of the participation of the representatives of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia in the celebration of the anti-constitutional day of the Republic of Serbia, it was said from Brussels that regional cooperation and good neighborly relations are an essential part of progress towards European integration.
“Actions and statements that negatively affect good neighborly relations and contribute to political divisions should be avoided,” he said in a written response sent to Radio Free Europe by the EU media office.
Representatives from Serbia regularly participate in the celebration of this day in Republika Srpska.
