More than 3.000 testimonies about the consequences of the action of an unknown substance at the protest in Belgrade

Civil society organizations Belgrade Center for Human Rights, Civic Initiatives, Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights - YUCOM, Initiative A11, FemPlatz and CRTA announced tonight that they had been contacted by more than 3.000 citizens who testified about the incident that suddenly interrupted the 15-minute silence for the victims of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad during the "15. FOR 15" protest on Saturday, March 15, and caused great unrest among citizens.

They added that representatives of the Belgrade Center for Human Rights spoke today with members of the Criminal Police Directorate of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (UKP MUP), who pointed out that they are acting in this case at the request of the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.

"In a conversation with members of the UKP, we pointed out that since Saturday evening, a large number of citizens have been contacting us continuously, describing the incident itself, reporting health problems and physical injuries, and that we have advised citizens to see a doctor if they have any health problems or symptoms of damage, given that it is unknown what substance was used and what consequences it may have on people's health," the civil society organizations said in a statement.

They pointed out, in a conversation with the UKP, that they were also told that the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade should publicly invite citizens who want to contribute to establishing the truth about what happened and what means were used during the 15-minute silence.

"It is necessary for citizens to contact the prosecutor's office and, if they wish, submit video recordings of the events, their testimonies and medical documentation documenting injuries - both from the stampede and from the effects of an unknown device or technology," civil society organizations concluded in a statement.

At a protest on Saturday, a currently unknown device was used against citizens, causing panic and various health problems with its sound of an unnatural frequency.

Government representatives, however, insist that no so-called "sound cannon" (prohibited by law) or any similar weapon was used against the protesters to break up the protests.