After a year without answers, Serbian authorities, with the help of Russian intelligence, claim that 'sonic cannon did not happen'

A year saw an official answer as to where the loud noise that broke the silence at the anti-government protest in Belgrade came from.

Thousands of people fled the streets due to the noise during a memorial service for those killed in the collapse of a building canopy in Novi Sad.

"This is something that, as a father, I can never forgive whoever ordered it, because my children were there too," Belgrade resident Miloš Blanuša told Radio Free Europe.

On March 15, 2025, Blanuša participated in a large protest in Belgrade with his wife and sons, aged six and 14, one in a series of protests demanding accountability from the authorities for the Novi Sad tragedy.

"It sounded like someone was breathing air. I had the feeling that everything was over and that something was about to fly, a train, a plane, a flying ship," says Blanusa.

Authorities deny using an illegal weapon – a sound cannon, “supporting” these claims with a report from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

But neither the institutions in Belgrade nor the Russian FSB have provided an answer as to what caused the mass exodus of people from the streets.

The "sonic cannon" is part of a group of non-lethal weapons that can be used for police and military purposes - for riot control, repelling attacks or long-distance communication.

What has been done so far?

Even after a year, the case is still in the pre-investigation phase at the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office.

"Citizens' statements are still being taken and so far around 170 citizens have been questioned," the prosecutor's office told Radio Free Europe.

The response adds that the prosecutor's office will announce further actions after receiving statements from all citizens who reported experiencing symptoms on March 15.

The protests were followed by numerous reports of health problems, such as dizziness, fainting, nausea, high blood pressure and hearing problems.

Belgrade resident Tatjana Rosić tells Radio Free Europe that she felt the physical consequences the day after the protest.

"I started to feel pressure on my eardrums, I felt my eardrums burning."

She told Radio Free Europe that she had mood swings, sudden unexplained urges to cry, and depressive episodes for a week.

Multiple videos show thousands of protesters fleeing the streets in panic in the face of what they describe as loud and unusual sounds and vibrations.

"At first I thought they had let the cavalry come out from behind because there was a kind of rumbling noise, like some kind of tectonic noise. Then I heard some noise," says Tatjana Rosić.

Then she realized it was something completely "unknown and quite scary."

“I had a complete power outage, an outage that didn't last long,” she said.

Recalling that event, Miloš Blanuša says the impression was so strong, stronger than the traumatic traffic accident on the highway, which he and his family experienced a few weeks later.

"We were hit from behind by a car at high speed, it was very unpleasant and life-threatening, but both boys told me it was nothing compared to the impression they had from the protest."

The European Commission (EC) reiterates that it still expects a swift, transparent and credible investigation into the allegations of the use of acoustic weapons against protesters.

"We recall that, according to European human rights standards, authorities must protect participants in gatherings from harm or violence," an EC spokesperson told Radio Free Europe.

Was the investigation effective?

Katarina Golubović from the non-governmental organization Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) estimates that after a year of lack of any action by the prosecution, one can speak of the inefficiency of the investigation.

"The case represents a clear sign of a disconnect with the prosecution and other institutions that should take measures to uncover the cause of the consequences already determined," she told Radio Free Europe.

Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim measure compelling authorities in Belgrade to prevent the use of sound weapons in protests and to conduct an effective investigation.

However, the decision, as explained, does not mean that the court has taken any position on whether a sound cannon was used on March 15.

The court has not yet begun to act on citizens' requests for proven violations of rights.

"Soon, the court will address the state with questions about how far it has come. This letter from the state will answer many questions," Golubović said.

The United Nations special rapporteurs against torture and on freedom of assembly have also initiated proceedings in relation to the events of March 15.

Golubović recalls that several non-governmental organizations have filed criminal charges with the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (TOK) for terrorism.

In August, the TOK returned the case to the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office for further proceedings, thus concluding the investigation into the possible use of a sonic cannon.

According to Maja Bjeloš from the Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCBP), the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office served to "legitimize the government's narrative that no competent authority used a sonic cannon, but not to determine what actually happened."

“This created the illusion that the state had taken steps even though the end result had not changed – no one was sanctioned for using a sound cannon,” she said.

The role of the Russian FSB

Claims by Serbian authorities that a sonic cannon was not used were confirmed by the Russian FSB, whose report was presented by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in April 2025.

The investigation "used dogs" for the experiment, testing audio equipment owned by Serbian police authorities.

In conclusion, it was announced that during the test "the biological objects did not show any concern" and that three days after the test, no changes in their condition were observed.

Maja Bjeloš from the BCSP told Radio Free Europe that the FSB tried to justify the disproportionate and illegal use of sonic weapons against peaceful protesters.

"The report, attributed to an 'FSB expert group,' aimed to absolve the regime of responsibility for alleged acts of state terrorism and shift the blame to the protesters," she said.

The FSB report was published on the website of Serbia's Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) as unsigned.

"At the invitation of Serbia, the FSB allegedly conducted an investigation into this incident instead of the competent authorities," Bjeloš points out.

Following the testimonies of protesters and allegations that illegal sound weapons were used in the protest, Serbian authorities have called on the Russian FSB and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct an independent investigation.

However, there is no information on how the FBI reacted.

On March 31, Vučić told TV Pink that he was not sure whether FBI representatives would come to Serbia, "especially since the Russian FSB came."

Maja Bjeloš believes that the Kremlin has agreed to provide support to the authorities in Belgrade.

"Possible motives include support for a government that maintains close relations with Moscow and does not impose sanctions on Russia, which also strengthens Russian influence in the region," she adds.

However, as he says, the European Court of Human Rights did not recognize the FSB investigation or its findings, but instead called on the competent authorities in Serbia to conduct their own investigation.

There is no voice from Serbia to say 'we bought it, but we don't use it'

Authorities initially denied possessing a sound cannon, then admitted that the police had sonic devices, but that they had "never been used."

Four days after the protest, police demonstrated a long-range acoustic device LRAD, colloquially called a "sonic cannon."

It broadcast a message warning citizens to immediately stop disrupting public order and was supposed to indicate that the device “has no harmful consequences” for those who gathered.

Police Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed that this model of "sound cannon" was near the Serbian Parliament during the March 15 protest, but claimed that it was not used at any time.

On the same day, the American company Genesis (Genasys), the manufacturer of the LRAD device displayed by the Serbian police, also spoke.

The firm stated that "the video and audio evidence they saw and heard does not indicate the use of LRAD during the March 15 incident in Belgrade."

Citizens still seek answers

Citizens who were exposed to an unidentified sound on March 15, 2025, are still searching for answers.

"I believe with absolute certainty that this will start to happen when everything is restored, when things return to their place," Miloš Blanuša is convinced.

Anti-government student and citizen protests in Serbia are still ongoing.

In addition to responsibility for the tragedy in Novi Sad, they also demand early parliamentary elections.

Authorities are currently denying this, and the President of Serbia has announced the end of the year as a possible date for holding them.