Serbian officials have denied that security forces used military-grade sonic weapons to disperse and startle protesters at a large anti-government rally in the capital. This comes after opposition officials and Serbian human rights organizations claimed that such widely banned sonic weapons, which emit directed beams of sound to temporarily incapacitate people, were used during Saturday's protests.
Read Also...:
Uttar Pradesh: Death penalty for three men in 1981 murders of 24 Dalits
03-20, 2025
'World's ugliest animal' is New Zealand's fish of the year
03-20, 2025
Ex-researcher sentenced to death for spying, China says
03-20, 2025
Afghan women students facing forced return after USAID cuts get temporary reprieve
03-20, 2025Opposition groups have stated that they will file lawsuits with the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts against those who ordered the use of the weapon. Notably, the Serbian side has not denied possessing such sonic devices in its arsenal. At least 100,000 people gathered in Belgrade on Saturday for a massive rally, considered the culmination of months of protests against Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.
The rally was part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement triggered by the collapse of a concrete canopy at a train station in northern Serbia last November, which resulted in 15 deaths. This tragedy has sparked near-daily demonstrations, shaking Vucic's decade-long iron grip on Serbia. Many attribute the accident to rampant government corruption, negligence, and disregard for building safety regulations, demanding accountability for the victims.
Footage from the rally shows people observing a 15-minute silence for the train station disaster, suddenly experiencing a whooshing sound that immediately triggered panic and a brief stampede. An Associated Press photographer on the scene stated that people began scrambling for cover, leaving the middle of the downtown streets nearly empty, with people falling over each other. Military experts say that those exposed to the weapon can experience intense ear pain, disorientation, and panic. Prolonged exposure can lead to ruptured eardrums and irreversible hearing damage.
The Belgrade Center for Security Policy, a non-governmental organization, condemned the "illegal and inhumane deployment of prohibited weapons, such as sonic devices, against peaceful protesters." The organization stated, "This act is a blatant display of force and an attempt to incite chaos, designed to delegitimize the protests and criminalize peaceful citizens." Serbian police and the Ministry of Defense have denied using illegal weapons.
The Serbian president on Sunday urged the judiciary to respond to information about the "use of sonic cannons during the protests," the state broadcaster RTS reported. "I ask... the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor's Office to react, either to prosecute those who used it, and we know they didn't, but let's check," Vucic said. "Let them file lawsuits, but they should also sue those who publicly spread this infamous lie."
Belgrade's emergency hospital denied reports that many people sought help after the incident and urged legal action against those "spreading false information." Vucic reiterated his denial of deploying crowd control devices, calling it a "vile lie" designed to "destroy Serbia." He stated that he would soon invite the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Russian Federal Security Service FSB to investigate the claims. "It is important for history to see how they lied," he said, referring to those who claimed sonic weapons were used.
Many who claimed to be at the center of the alleged attack complained of severe headaches, nausea, and disorientation on social media. Some security experts claimed that American-made Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) - a specialized sound-emitting tool capable of delivering high-frequency sound waves over long distances - were used in the protests. Their claims could not be independently verified. Vucic has stated that the protests, led by university students, are part of a Western plot to overthrow him, warning that all those who spread false information will be held accountable in court.
