Dacic: Protest note sent to INTERPOL over requests for arrest warrants for Dodik, Stevandic

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Thursday the INTERPOL office in Belgrade had sent a protest note to the organisation's General Secretariat as requests for international arrest warrants for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Parliament Speaker Nenad Stevandic violated a ban on activities in matters of political, military, religious and racial character, stipulated by INTERPOL's own Constitution.

Dacic noted that Dodik and Stevandic were Serbian citizens and that international arrest warrants requested by Bosnia and Herzegovina had still not been verified by the INTERPOL General Secretariat for fulfilment of the requirements for their issuance.

The INTERPOL General Secretariat has confirmed receipt of the note and said it will take it into consideration and inform Belgrade of the outcome in a timely manner, he added.

"I note that, at all times, Serbia advocates respect for international norms but, at the same time, it will not allow any attempts by other states or international bodies to jeopardise the rights of our citizens. Serbia is determined to fight for its rights and the rights of its citizens on the global scene, with respect for international legal frameworks, in line with its own values and principles," Dacic said.

Earlier in the day, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose authority is not recognised in the territory of Republika Srpska, ordered the issuance of international arrest warrants for Dodik and Stevandic, alleging that, using their high-ranking positions in Republika Srpska, the two had avoided border control procedures required by law and crossed the state border, leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The request for arrest warrants is pending approval by the EUROPOL General Secretariat in Lyon.