Milorad Dodik’s Public Attitudes and Perceptions Toward the ICTY

Abstract

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was‎ formally closed on 21 December 2017. During the quarter century of its existence, ‎ICTY’s rulings had a significant impact on public discourses and narratives‎ about the Bosnian war. Different opinions among the citizens of Bosnia‎ and Herzegovina (BiH) about ICTY’s role and its verdicts have emerged over ‎time, especially among the leaders of the dominant ethno-political parties representing ‎the three ethno-constituent groups – Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs.‎ Milorad Dodik, current member of the BiH Presidency, a former President of ‎Republika Srpska (RS) entity, and the leader of one of the most prominent political‎ parties in RS, was particularly vocal and critical about the work of the ‎ICTY. This paper closely examines Dodik’s public views and opinions toward ‎the ICTY. We use content- and operational code analysis to analyze key features‎ of his perceptions toward the ICTY’s work while serving as the President ‎of RS for two consecutive terms.‎