U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy urges sanctions probe into Bosnia officials over Dodik ouster
Rep. Celeste Maloy wrote to the Treasury's sanctions office asking for a review of alleged misconduct by Bosnia's High Representative and election officials in the removal of Milorad Dodik. A senior Bosnian Serb lawmaker echoed the call for U.S. sanctions.
Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy sent a letter to the Treasury Department on August 31, asking the Office of Foreign Assets Control to investigate possible sanctionable conduct by Bosnia's High Representative Christian Schmidt and the Central Election Commission in the removal of Milorad Dodik as Republika Srpska president. Dodik had been convicted in February 2025 for refusing to implement High Representative decisions, a ruling confirmed on appeal and resulting in a one-year prison term and a six-year ban from office.
Bosnian Serb parliamentary delegate Radovan Kovačević told a news foundation that Schmidt, election officials, prosecutors and judges involved should face U.S. sanctions, describing the prosecution as illegal and unconstitutional. Schmidt announced his departure in May, with Louis Crishock assuming the acting role on July 1. Dodik, previously sanctioned in 2017 and 2022, was removed from the U.S. sanctions list in October 2025 after appealing to President Donald Trump. The request highlights ongoing tensions over Bosnia's governance and could shape future U.S. policy in the Western Balkans.
Why it matters
U.S. sanctions could pressure Bosnian officials and affect stability in the Western Balkans.
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