The European Commission has reiterated its request to the Serbian authorities to investigate whether a sound cannon was used during the anti-government protest in Belgrade on March 15, 2025.
"As already stated, we expect a swift, transparent and credible investigation into the allegations of the use of sound weapons against protesters," the European Commission press service said.
The new call from institutions in Brussels regarding the possible use of a sound cannon, which the authorities in Belgrade deny, came after European media once again brought up this issue.
The Politico website reported on January 15 that Serbian intelligence services, in cooperation with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), tested sound guns on dogs as part of an investigation into protesters' claims that sound weapons were used during the March 15 protests.
European Commission officials confirmed they were aware of the "worrying reports."
"Relations with Russia cannot proceed as usual, especially when it comes to security," the European Commission's press service said, recalling that, according to European human rights standards, authorities have an obligation to protect participants in gatherings from injury and violence.
In April 2025, Radio Free Europe (RFE) wrote about the FSB report, which was then presented by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Vučić said that the investigation by the Russian service, which "used dogs" for the experiment, concluded that the illegal "sound cannon" weapon was not used at the protest in Belgrade.
The report, which was published on the website of the Security and Intelligence Agency of Serbia (BIA), states that sound devices owned by Serbian police authorities were tested on dogs at the BIA training ground.
The report states that during the test, "the biological objects did not show any discomfort," and that no changes in their condition were observed three days after the test.
"Based on the results obtained, a categorical conclusion can be made that sound devices were not used during the protests on March 15," the Serbian president said, presenting a report about which the Russian service did not comment.
Following the testimony of protesters and accusations that an unauthorized sound weapon was used at the March 15 protest in Belgrade, Serbian authorities requested that Russian investigators conduct an "independent investigation."
In addition to the Russian FSB, Serbian authorities have also invited the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct an independent investigation. There is no information, however, on how the FBI responded to Serbian authorities.
The students in the blockade, who have been leading mass protests in Serbia since the death of 16 people in Novi Sad, demanding that the authorities be held accountable for the tragedy, have included an investigation into the incident at the March 15 demonstration on their list of official demands.
To this day, however, there is no official information about what caused the fear and panic of several thousand demonstrators who, while paying their respects to the victims of the Novi Sad accident, suddenly fled the roadway - in the face of what they described as strong and unusual sounds and vibrations.
Numerous testimonies followed about health problems in the days after the protest – such as dizziness, fainting, nausea, high blood pressure, and hearing problems.
Authorities initially denied possessing a sound cannon, but later admitted that police had sonic devices, claiming they had "never been used."
Immediately after the event, the European Union requested an investigation into the protesters' allegations.
The incident is also being investigated by the European Court of Human Rights, a judicial institution of the Council of Europe.
The "sonic cannon" belongs to a group of non-lethal weapons that can be used for police and military purposes - for riot control, repelling attacks, or communicating over long distances.
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