Russia’s ‘Night Wolves’ to Tour Bosnia Despite Ban
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The Night Wolves on one of their tour. Photo: EPA/Carsten Koall |
The Russian motorcyle group, the Night Wolves, intend to visit several towns and cities in Serbia and Bosnia as part of their “Russian Balkans” tour – despite a ban on their leaders entering Bosnia imposed last week.
On Sunday, the Night Wolves published their route final, which will end on March 28. According to the plan, they will visit Belgrade, Novi Sad, Valjevo, Krusevac, Nis, Jagodina, Kragujevac and Bela Crkva in Serbia – plus Bijeljina, Brcko, Doboj and Banja Luka in Bosnia’s mainly Serbian entity, Republika Srpska.
“The route reprises the pilgrimage routes of the distant past, with stop-offs in the ancient centres of Orthodox Christianity, such as monasteries and churches, where icons of Russian saints will be delivered as gifts,” the Facebook page of the Serbian representative of the Night Wolves, Sasa Savic, said.
The announcement added that the project is being implemented with grant from the Russian President for the development of civil society, the Foundation for Presidential Grants.
Savic and the Russian head of the Night Wolves, Alexandar Zaldastanov, were both banned from entering Bosnia last Wednesday.
However, the group has made clear they intend to continue the tour. A TV station from Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Republika Srpska, on Sunday said Savic plans to sue Bosnia’s Security Minister, Dragan Mektic.
Savic said Mektic was “ruining the reputation of the Night Wolves and he does not understand why he is banned from entering Bosnia” media reported.
In his own reaction on Facebook, Alexandar Zaldastanov said that the tour would continue without him, and added: “They can’t stop it”.
Earlier this month, Mektic said the Night Wolves were considered a potential security risk by the EU and the US.
The group is known for its close ties to the Kremlin, and critics say its main aim is not sporting-related but to promote President Vladimir Putin’s brand of Russian nationalism.
In December 2014, the US Treasury Department blacklisted the Night Wolves because some of its members had served in the armed conflict in Ukraine.
On January 9, marking Republika Srpska’s disputed statehood day, RS President Milorad Dodik awarded the Night Wolves for their “particular emphasis on the affirmation of human rights, tolerance among people, the rule of law and freedom, and the strengthening of friendly relations between the Russian Federation and the RS”.
Meanwhile, Nenad Stevandic, vice-president of the Assembly of Republika Srpska, said Mektic was campaigning against “one of the guarantors of the [1995] Dayton Peace Agreement – Russia, which has preserved some kind of sovereignty for [Republika] Srpska, and he is campaigning for the spread of anti-Russian hysteria”.
Some media reports suggest the wolves may meet Republika Srpska President Dodik, as part of their tour of the entity.
Zaldastanov on January 23 thanked Dodik for his award, and invited him to join them at their event in Sevastopol, Crimea, on August 17.
BIRN contacted the Night Wolves for comment, but received no answer by the time of publication.
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