Vucic: I hope for reason in Sarajevo, persecution of Dodik absurd

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday evening the legal persecution of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik was absurd and that he hoped there would be "sufficient reason" in Sarajevo.

"I hope there will be sufficient reason in Sarajevo because this legal persecution of Milorad Dodik, Mr Lukic and the Official Gazette is absolutely absurd," Vucic said during a visit to the 46th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade.

He said a trial was underway not only for the purpose of "persecuting President Dodik and Mr Lukic for a completely unknown reason, but for the purpose of sending a clear signal to Republika Srpska."

"I think that is very bad, and I want to believe the Sarajevo court will make the right decision - an acquittal. Anything else leads us to uncertainty and, I hope, not to something we cannot avert through intelligent actions," Vucic said.

Vucic noted that he did not understand at all why someone should be "persecuted for verbal offence or a dissenting political opinion."

"That is simply not appropriate in the 21st century and not normal either," he added.

A trial of Dodik and Official Gazette Acting Director Milos Lukic for "disrespect of a decision by Christian Schmidt" continued before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Wednesday.

Prosecutors have requested that both Dodik and Lukic be sentenced to five years in prison and banned from politics for ten years.