BELGRADE, Serbia 

Bosnian Serbs held celebrations Monday to mark the anniversary of the founding of the entity Republika Srpska (RS) in defiance of a ruling by Bosnia’s top court. 

The commemorations, which were supported by senior members of the Republika Srpska government and Serbia, kicked off with a parade in East Sarajevo.

Among the attendants were Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic and Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik as well as Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Serbian Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selakovic and members of the Republika Srpska police.

The entity was decorated with Republika Srpska flags. A huge number of police personnel were deployed for security.

"The Serbs are a suffering but proud people who have always paid a high price for their freedom with their blood. Let's rally around RS because without RS, there is no 'life' for us in these regions. The RS is a republic of peace. I am proud to be able to testify about the Republic, which has gone through a difficult period. Today I am proud of the RS police maintaining peace and order," said Dodik in his speech.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's son Danilo, on behalf of his father, took part in the ceremony.

President Vucic in his message to the people of Republika Srpska wished for progress, peace and prosperity.

Backlash

The European Union condemned Dodik for awarding Russian President Vladimir Putin with the highest medal of honor as part of the celebrations of the founding of the entity.

Dodik awarded Putin in absentia for his “patriotic concern and love” for Republika Srpska.

The European Commission’s lead foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano urged Dodik to respect the Constitutional Court.

The UK embassy in Bosnia also condemned the decision to award Putin.

The High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, said that Jan. 9, Republika Srpska Day is unconstitutional and does not reflect the multi-ethnic nature of the country.

“All public bodies and all public authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have an obligation to respect the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina,'' said Schmidt in a letter to Dodik.

Bosniak Member of the Presidency Denis Bećirović called on RS officials to respect the rule of law, create a positive environment among all peoples in the country and strengthen stability and economic progress instead of celebrating the unconstitutional day.

The US embassy in Sarajevo said the calls for RS independence would “only destroy itself.”

''The calls for RS independence repeated yesterday coupled with specious legal claims about its competencies and attempts to undermine the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina are pushing the country down a dangerous path. The Republika Srpska will only destroy itself and those around it pursuing the will-o-wisp of independence,” it said.

Court order


Bosnian Serbs consider Jan. 9 to be their small state's most important holiday.

However, in late November 2015, Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled that celebrating Republika Srpska Statehood Day could be discriminatory to other ethnic groups in the country.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established by the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War in 1995. It consists of two Bosniaks, two Serbs, two Croats and three foreign judges and its decisions are legally binding.

However, Serbs in Republika Srpska overwhelmingly passed a controversial referendum on a "national holiday" in September 2016.

Over 99% of voters in the Serb-majority territory chose to make Jan. 9 “Statehood Day,” fueling fears the referendum could be a first step towards seeking independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country torn apart by violent ethnic conflict in the 1990s.

Prosecutors also summoned Dodik to testify about the controversial referendum on his entity's "national holiday."