Serbia has submitted response to the United Nations regarding the alleged use of acoustic weapons during the protest March 15, was confirmed for Insider by the Belgrade Center for Human Rights (BCLJP), reports FoNet.
The BCLJP stated that there is no new information in the response that was not already available to the public, and that the use of sonic weapons is denied.
"According to the information available to us, the response does not state new facts in relation to those already known to the public. Regarding the obligation to conduct an investigation, the state referred to the actions of the competent prosecutors' offices, without providing additional information on the course and content of those proceedings," according to the BCLJP.
Serbia's response, according to available information, denies the use of acoustic weapons during the protest, but adds that the security services of Russia and the United States have been requested to cooperate in order to shed light on the circumstances of the incident.
The BCLHR states that they expect the UN special rapporteurs, after analyzing Serbia's response, to put forward possible recommendations for improving the protection of human rights in similar situations.
Request to the Government of Serbia
Special Rapporteurs United Nations (UN) they requested earlier an official answer from Serbia regarding the allegations about sonic cannon.
In the official communication they sent to the State of Serbia, the UN rapporteurs pointed out that the information received about the events of March 15th cause serious concern regarding the full implementation of the Serbian Government's obligations regarding the respect and protection of rights and fundamental freedoms according to international human rights law, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the obligations arising from the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Punishments or Procedures, specifically including the failure to protect protesters.
They further expressed serious concern about the increasing restrictions on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and in particular the alleged use of an illegal sound device, which has led to numerous further claims of injury and health problems caused by these weapons.
"These weapons and devices pose a risk of causing temporary or permanent hearing damage, depending on the model, distance and duration of exposure. They can be misused in an indiscriminate manner against masses of people or used to cause injury. Their effects, which rely on sensory disorientation and whose effects are general rather than targeted, can cause dangerous stampedes and chaotic behavior, affecting both protesters and bystanders. Although we cannot confirm that such weapons were used in this particular case, the evidence we have received indicate that its use caused mass panic, which is contrary to the precautionary principle," stated the letter of the UN special rapporteurs addressed to the Government of Serbia.
