Siniša Karan (born May 17, 1962) is a Bosnian-Herzegovinian politician from Republika Srpska. Since February 2026, he has held the position of 10th President of the Republika Srpska. Before that, he was a high-ranking official in the entity government: from 2022 to 2025, he was the Minister of Internal Affairs of the RS, and from 2025 to the beginning of 2026, the Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education. He is a long-time member of the SNSD party (Alliance of Independent Social Democrats), whose candidate won the repeated elections in 2025 and assumed the position of president.
Early life and education
Karan was born in 1962 in the village of Grabovac near Beli Manastir (then in SR Croatia). He finished primary and secondary school in Kupres (BiH), and graduated in political science at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo (1985). He received his master’s degree in law at the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka (2006), and in 2009 he obtained a doctoral degree in legal sciences at the same faculty. He is a lawyer by profession and full professor of constitutional law at private universities in Banja Luka (Pan-European “Apeiron” and an independent university).
Personal information: He is known to be married and is the father of one child. His date of birth is May 17, 1962, which means that he turned 63 in 2025. There is no public information available about its height or financial status.
Career and political rise
Karan began his career in police and security services. From 1985 to 2008, he worked in internal affairs: he was, among other things, the commander of the police station in Kupres, the head of the crime department of the SJB Centar Sarajevo, the head of the Directorate for the Suppression of Crime of the MUP of the RS and the head of the Criminal Department of the Criminal Department investigation and financial-intelligence department of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).
After 2008, he transferred to the administration of the RS government. He was an advisor to the President of the Republika Srpska for Security (2008), and from 2009 to 2019 he held the position of General Secretary of the President of the RS. Then, from 2019 to December 2022, he was the chief secretary of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, when he was appointed Minister of the Interior. From September 2025 to January 2026, he was Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the RS. Key career moments:
- 1985–2008: Different police duties in BiH (Kupres, Sarajevo, RS, SIPA).
- 2008–2019: Safety advisor to the President of the RS (2008–2009) and Secretary General of the President of the RS (2009–2019).
- 2019–2022: Secretary General of the Government of the RS (2019–2022).
- 2022–2025: Minister of the Interior of Rs.
- 2025–2026: Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of RS.
- 2026–: President of the Republic of Srpska (performed duty on February 17, 2026).
In the elections held on February 8, 2026, Karan won as a SNSD candidate. According to official results, he won about 224,384 votes (50.5%), while the opposition candidate from the SDS collected about 213,513 votes (48.1%). After the confirmed results, he took a solemn oath in the National Assembly of the RS on February 17, 2026. In the pre-election campaign, Karan emphasized the continuity of the policy of Milorad Dodik, pointing out that “the national The president will continue to be Milorad Dodik” and that he will continue the implementation of that policy.
During his career, Karan was associated with controversies. In 2016, he was the president of the Commission for the Referendum on the Declaration on January 9 as the Day of the Republic of Srpska. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared this referendum unconstitutional, and the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina filed an indictment against Karan and others. In July 2017, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected the indictment against him. It is also the subject of international sanctions: the US Treasury has listed him as a member of the working group that in 2024 prepared the RS secession plan, which is why the US Office for Foreign Property Control (OFAC) put it on January 17, 2025. “black list” as part of the secessionist group.
Age, height and personal details
- age: 63 years old (born in 1962).
- height: unknown.
- Family status: Married, father of one child.
- Net value: Unknown (no public data).
Social networks
No public, official profiles on popular social networks (Twitter/X, Instagram, etc.) were found for Siniša Karan. So his presence on social networks is not publicly highlighted or widely known.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Who is Siniša Karan?
Karan is a Bosnian politician and lawyer. Since February 2026, he has been the president of Republika Srpska (entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina). Before that, he was Minister of the Interior and Minister of Science and Higher Education of the RS. -
What is his party?
He is a member of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the dominant party in the RS, founded by Milorad Dodik. -
What is his education like?
He graduated in political science at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo (1985). He received his master’s degree in law at the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka in 2006, and in 2009 he defended his doctoral dissertation in law at the same faculty. -
Who is his wife and how many children does he have?
He is known to be married and has one child. Wife’s names and family details have not been made public. -
How tall is it?
There is no publicly available information about its height. -
Was he sanctioned or charged?
Yes. In 2017, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office accused him (and then acquitted him) of conducting a referendum on RS Day. In 2025, the USA sanctioned it through OFAC for participating in the planning of the secession of the RS. -
How did he become the president of the RS?
In 2025, Karan was appointed SNSD candidate for the president of the RS, after Milorad Dodik had to step down. In the repeated early elections (February 2026), he received the most votes, and after confirming the results, he took the oath on February 17, 2026, and officially assumed the position of president.
Conclusion
Siniša Karan is a long-time political and security official of Republika Srpska, who was elected president of that entity in 2026. His biography shows years of experience in the police, the administration of the president and the ministries of the entity. As he is the new president of the RS, his activities and decisions will be under the magnifying glass of the public and the media. For more information about him, follow official sources and media in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sources: The information in the article comes from verified newspaper articles and publications. These media and archival sources were used to confirm all the mentioned facts about the life and career of Siniša Karan.