The European Court of Human Rights requested that the Serbian authorities answer questions about the possible use of sonic weapons at the March 15 protest, and this was requested from the court on behalf of the citizens by civil society organizations, including Civic Initiatives. Executive director Maja Stojanović states for N1 that it is “a turning point, because for the first time Serbia will have to answer an official question.”
“He will have to directly say whether a sound cannon was used, what is the legal framework for its use – and we know from all the debates that it does not exist, that they acquired some sound cannons without a legal framework, as well as what are the protective mechanisms so that they are not used arbitrarily, according to someone’s decision. Those are three very important questions,” she said.
She added that the organizations asked to determine whether Serbia has a sound cannon, as well as the most basic temporary measure to ban its use.
Speaking about President Aleksandar Vučić’s statement from Brussels, in which he stated that the sound cannon was not used, and that they are ready to prove it, Maja Stojanović states that this has become rhetoric recently.
“This proof that something did not happen has become rhetoric in the last few months. It is impossible to prove that something did not happen, they can investigate what actually happened. The reaction of the Prosecutor’s Office, that is, the statement that they determined that it did not happen – there is no evidence that something did not happen,” she added.
She also stated that she was not satisfied with the reaction of Brussels. “I would like the EU to deal much more with value issues than with bureaucratic accession procedures. And the fact that there is no joint conference is a message,” she stated.
“The message not to call N1 in the middle of Brussels is a clear message from the authorities that will be easily recognized in Brussels. It’s not the same when you don’t call N1 in Brussels and when you don’t call in Belgrade to some local conference,” she pointed out.