Bosnia's prosecutor lifts arrest warrant against separatist Serb leader
BELGRADE (Reuters) -Bosnia's prosecutor's office said it had lifted an arrest warrant against separatist Serb leader Milorad Dodik after he surprisingly appeared at a hearing investigating allegations against him of violating the constitutional order.
After months of ignoring summons to attend the prosecutor's office to answer questions, Dodik appeared at a hearing on Friday, authorities said in a statement issued late on Friday.
Dodik is a long-time advocate of the secession of the autonomous Serb Republic, one of two regions in Bosnia linked by a weak central government, and the crisis precipitated by his separatist push represents one of the biggest threats to peace in the Balkans since the 1990s conflicts that followed Yugoslavia's collapse.
In February, he was sentenced to one year in jail and banned from holding office for six years for defying the decisions of an international peace envoy, the ultimate interpreter of Bosnia's constitution under the Dayton peace accords that ended the 1992-95 war in which 100,000 people were killed.
In March, Bosnian state prosecutors ordered Dodik's arrest for ignoring a court summons.
Following Friday's hearing, Bosnia's prosecutor's office and the court issued a statement saying that the arrest warrant for him was withdrawn, though he will still have to report periodically to state authorities.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Canada could financially back aluminum producers if 50 pct US tariffs persist, trade group says
MONTREAL: Canada has discussed offering financial support to large aluminum producers like Rio Tinto impacted by a US-led trade war, in the event that Washington's 50 per cent tariff on imports of the metal persist in the medium term, the CEO of a key industry trade group said on Saturday. Aluminium Association of Canada CEO Jean Simard told Reuters in an interview that the early talks could help the sector in the event that Ottawa is unable to reach a planned deal with its key trading partner by July 21. "It's part of a larger discussion where everything is on the table," Simard said, adding that no decision has been reached. Canada recently canceled a digital service tax on US technology companies in order to preserve trade talks with US President Donald Trump, but another irritant remains in the ongoing negotiations. While the major aluminum producers operating in Canada do not have liquidity problems, Simard said, a 50 per cent US tariff on aluminum imports would inevitably have an impact on finances if it continues longer term. He added that with the 50 per cent tariff in effect since June 4, it's normal that there are discussions about the impact on businesses' cash flow if the situation continues. Around half of all aluminum used in the US is imported, with the vast majority coming from Canada. Simard's comments follow media reports late Friday in which federal industry minister Mélanie Joly said the government is having conversations with Rio Tinto about providing financial assistance due to the crushing US tariffs. Rio Tinto declined comment on Saturday. A spokesperson for Joly's office said in a statement that Ottawa is in "active conversations" on how it can best support Canada's aluminum industry in the context of unjustified American tariffs, with the goal to support increased investment in the sector. US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent last month, stepping up pressure on global steel producers and deepening his trade war, to support domestic production of the vital materials for construction.
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Ukraine's Zelenskiy says latest phone call with Trump his most productive yet
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that his latest conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump this week was the best and "most productive" he has had to date. "Regarding the conversation with the president of the United States, which took place a day earlier, it was probably the best conversation we have had during this whole time, the most productive," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "We discussed air defence issues and I'm grateful for the willingness to help. The Patriot system is precisely the key to protection against ballistic threats." Zelenskiy said the two leaders had discussed "several other important matters" that officials from the two sides would be considering in forthcoming meetings. Trump told reporters on Friday that he had a good call with Zelenskiy and restated his disappointment at a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin over what he said was Moscow's lack of willingness to work toward a ceasefire. Asked whether the United States would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelenskiy, Trump said: "They're going to need them for defense... They're going to need something because they're being hit pretty hard." Russia has intensified air attacks on Kyiv and other cities in recent weeks. Moscow's forces launched the largest drone attack of the 40-month-old war on the Ukrainian capital hours after Trump's conversation with Putin on Thursday. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft)
The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
US deportees arrive in South Sudan, airport sources say
FILE PHOTO: U.S. flag and Judge gavel are seen in this illustration taken, August 6, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo NAIROBI (Reuters) -An aircraft carrying U.S. deportees arrived in South Sudan on Saturday, two officials working at Juba airport said, after eightmigrants lost their last-ditch effort to halt their deportation by the Trump administration. An airport staffer speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters he had seen a document showing that the aircraft "arrived this morning at 6:00 am."(0400 GMT) An immigration official also said the deportees had arrived in the country but shared no further details, referring all questions to the National Security Service intelligence agency. Earlier, a South Sudan government source said U.S. officials had been at the airport awaiting the migrants' arrival. (Reporting by Nairobi bureau; additional reporting by Ryan Jones in Toronto and Andrea Shalal in Bedminster, New Jersey; editing by Diane Craft)
