Serbian Patriarch Slams 'Undemocratic' Ruling Against Republika Srpska Leader
Patrarch Porfirije condemned the verdict as "unlawful and undemocratic." He is a vocal supporter of autonomy for Bosnian Serbs.
BELGRADE — On August 2, 2025, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia issued a strong statement supporting Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik after Bosnia and Herzegovina’s court upheld his prison sentence and political ban.
Labeling the verdict “unlawful and undemocratic,” Porfirije condemned it as an attack on Serbian democratic will and Republika Srpska’s legitimacy, threatening the Serbian community’s survival in Bosnia.
He warned that unrest in Serbian areas endangers regional peace, urging religious leaders to work for stability. Porfirije criticized external political influences, calling for unity to protect shared interests.
He concluded by urging Orthodox Serbs to pray for mutual understanding to secure peace and a hopeful future for the region’s children, emphasizing spiritual solidarity amid escalating tensions.
Dodik was convicted in February 2025 by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for defying the international High Representative, Christian Schmidt, whose authority derives from the 1995 Dayton Agreement.
The court sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and a six-year political ban for enacting laws that challenge Bosnia’s state institutions, including measures to block state-level judicial and security bodies in Republika Srpska.
Dodik, a prominent advocate for Bosnian Serb autonomy, dismissed the verdict as politically driven, intensifying tensions by passing additional laws to reject federal authority.
