Interpol has upheld Serbia’s appeal against an international arrest warrant issued for President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik. The news was announced by Dodik himself in a post on X, stating: ‘President Aleksandar Vučić has just called to inform me that he has received notification from the Interpol Directorate that Serbia’s appeal has been upheld and that Interpol has rejected a request by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to issue a red notice.’ He also extended his gratitude to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and ‘every other national leader’ who appealed on his behalf.
As Hungarian Conservative previously reported, Interpol had reportedly issued a red notice for Dodik on 28 March, following a request from a Sarajevo court which had issued an international arrest warrant against him for breaching a federal order by leaving the country. The Bosnian Serb leader travelled first to Serbia, then to Israel, and finally to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Belgrade submitted a formal complaint to Interpol, with Interior Minister Ivica Dačić arguing that Dodik is a Serbian citizen. He cited Article 3 of the Interpol Statute, which prohibits the organization from engaging in matters of a political, military, religious, or racial nature. According to Serbian officials, this describes the case against Dodik.
Earlier Russian and Bosnian media reports indicated that Hungary also filed an appeal against the warrant. Hungarian Conservative contacted both the Hungarian Ministry of Interior and the Hungarian National Police Headquarters (ORFK) for clarification. ORFK responded that the matter falls outside its competence, while the Ministry of Interior has yet to reply.
Dodik was sentenced on 26 February for refusing to comply with decisions made by Christian Schmidt, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s High Representative of the international community. The high representative holds sweeping powers, including the authority to annul legislation and remove democratically elected officials in both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska—the two entities that make up the state of BiH.
Many observers have described the trial as politically motivated, viewing it as part of a broader trend of using weaponizing the judiciary against right-wing, sovereigntist leaders. Prime Minister Orbán condemned the conviction, calling it a ‘political witch hunt’ and warning that the decision undermines the already fragile stability of the Western Balkans.
Orbán and Hungary have long been close allies of both Republika Srpska and Milorad Dodik, while also maintaining pragmatic relations with the leadership of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hungary has been one of the most vocal supporters of Bosnia’s—and the broader region’s—EU integration, and remains one of the largest contributors to the EU’s peacekeeping mission in BiH, EUFOR Althea.
Dodik has since returned to Republika Srpska. On Wednesday he gave a televised interview to local media, during which he addressed the Interpol matter. ‘Interpol is not at the service of Sarajevo,’ he said, adding that the organization made the right decision in rejecting the request of what he called ‘Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unconstitutional court’. He also hinted at future international visits: ‘I know exactly what I’m doing, and I’m confident I’m on the right track. No one can stop Republika Srpska, and we will continue to expand our relations.’
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