Serbian Government denies using ‘sonic weapon’ during Belgrade protest

Intelligence Update:

On 29 March 2025, President Aleksandar Vucic stated that experts from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had arrived in Serbia to investigate the allegations of the use of a “sonic weapon” against protesters in Belgrade. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered on 15 March 2025 to protest against the government when witnesses reported hearing a distressing sound believed to be from a sonic weapon.

Some protesters alleged that they heard a loud sound during a 15-minute moment of silence at the protest and described feeling vertigo-like sensations. Videos circulating online showed the crowd abruptly dispersing around Kralja Milana following the incident.

Serbian authorities denied the allegations and said that they had invited both the FSB and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the case, claiming they had nothing to hide. President Vucic denied the allegation, calling it a “lie”. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg gave the Serbian government until 31 March 2025 to clarify whether prohibited means were used against the demonstrators, what legal basis (if any) existed for the alleged use of that type of weapon, and what measures are in place to prevent arbitrary deployment of such devices.

Long Range Acoustic Device:

Long-Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) are specialised loudspeakers capable of emitting powerful sound waves over vast distances. LRADs, initially designed for communication, have been used by some governments in crowd control, sometimes causing permanent hearing damage due to their extremely high decibel levels.

Serbian officials said in March 2025 that there were LRADs on the streets of Belgrade on the day of the protest after they had previously denied this. However, they maintain that it was not used as a “sound cannon” against the protesters. Authorities said that 16 LRADs were purchased in 2021 but that they had never been used and that they were boxed and located in storage.

A coalition of civil society organisations in Serbia, including the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, CRTA, FemPlatz, Civic Initiatives, the A11 Initiative for Economic and Social Rights, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), submitted a request to the European Court of Human Rights. According to these organisations, over 4,000 citizens contacted them about what happened, reporting a range of health issues.

Recurrent protests:

A series of anti-government protests have been recorded in parts of Serbia in response to the fatal collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which left 16 dead. Prosecutors have charged 13 people over the incident, and the government announced an anti-corruption campaign. University students have been at the forefront of the protests in Serbia. In late November and December, university and high school students began boycotting classes in protest. The 16th victim, a teenager who was injured in the incident, died on 21 March 2025.

Many in Serbia blamed the incident on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations, demanding accountability for the victims. On the day of the protest, between 275,000 and 325,000 people had gathered to protest in Belgrade, making it the largest protest in Serbia’s history. The government put the attendance at 107,000.

Ahead of the demonstration, President Vucic repeatedly warned of alleged plans for unrest while threatening arrests and harsh sentences for any incidents. Hundreds of police officers were also deployed inside and around government buildings and in front of the presidential palace. Vucic has been claiming that Western intelligence services were behind the protests which are aimed at ousting him from power.

Assessment:

This latest incident adds to the sustained campaign against President Vucic’s government and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The mass protests forced Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic, Internal and External Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic and mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Djuric, to resign. Prime Minister Vucevic announced his resignation in January 2025, citing an attack on a student by unknown men during a protest in front of the premises of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Although the resignations prompted the collapse of the government, this has failed to deter the protesters. Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabic announced that if an agreement is not reached on the formation of a new government by 18 April 2025, new elections will be called for early June.

GSA Forecast:

There is likely to be an increase in the government’s use of repression and mass arrests in response to the anti-government protests. The political situation in Serbia is likely to remain volatile in the near term as the protesters demand President Vucic’s resignation. However, it is highly unlikely that Vucic will bow to their demands.