Serbian officials denied on Sunday that security forces used a military-grade sonic weapon to disperse and intimidate protesters during a large anti-government rally in the capital. Opposition leaders and Serbian human rights groups accused authorities of using the banned acoustic weapon, which emits a targeted beam to temporarily incapacitate individuals, during the protest on Saturday. They have vowed to file charges with both the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts against those who ordered the attack.
While Serbia has not denied possessing the acoustic device in its arsenal, officials have refuted claims that it was used during the protest.
The rally, which attracted at least 100,000 people in Belgrade on Saturday, marked the culmination of months of protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his government. The protest was part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement that began following the November collapse of a concrete canopy at a train station in northern Serbia, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people.
The daily demonstrations that started in response to the tragedy have weakened Vucic’s decade-long hold on power, as many blame the crash on widespread government corruption, negligence, and the disregard for construction safety regulations. Protesters are calling for accountability for the victims.
Footage from the rally showed participants standing in silence for 15 minutes to honor the victims of the train station disaster, when suddenly a whooshing sound triggered panic and a brief stampede. An Associated Press photographer at the scene reported that people scrambled for cover, leaving the middle of the street empty as they fell over each other.
Military experts say that those exposed to the sonic weapon 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 alleged use of the banned acoustic weapon against peaceful protesters, calling it a “blatant display of force” aimed at inciting chaos and delegitimizing the protests.
In response, Serbian police and the defense ministry denied the use of the illegal weapon. President Vucic, on Sunday, urged judicial authorities to investigate claims that sonic weapons were deployed during the protests, according to the state RTS broadcaster. He said, “I am asking 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. Let there be a proceeding, but then they should also prosecute those who spread such notorious lies.”
Belgrade’s emergency hospital also denied reports that many people sought medical help following the incident and called for legal action against those spreading false information.
