CoE PACE rapporteurs concerned over tensions in Serbia

"We are very concerned about the escalation of tensions in the country, which led to a protest of at least 100,000 people in Belgrade on Saturday 15 March. This was one of the largest ever held in Serbia,” a press release quoted them as saying.

It said that “an unusually disturbing noise followed by a gust of air broke a 15-minute silence observed by the demonstrators and caused a minor stampede in the centre of Belgrade”. “There are reports of dozens of people being treated at the health centre for ailments that could have been caused by so-called 'sound cannons' or LRADs (Long Range Acoustic Devices) that may have been used to disperse the rally. We are deeply concerned by these allegations and call on the authorities to shed light on them and to provide immediate medical and psychological assistance to all victims,” they said.

The rapporteurs called all parties to a constructive and inclusive dialogue and urged the Serbian authorities to take all necessary measures to address the legitimate demands of demonstrators and to avoid the use of violence. “We remain ready to travel to the country and discuss all these issues with the authorities in the framework of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure,” the rapporteurs said.