Serbia Justice Minister suggests terrorism allegations in student protest probe

"In my opinion, with a caveat, there are elements of terrorism here because you always have the element of public unrest and a sense of insecurity when citizens lose faith in institutions," Vujic remarked. He defended the professionalism of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, stating he expects the institution to present clear evidence to support its eventual legal qualifications of the case.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office recently requested documentation from the Service for Combating Terrorism within the Criminal Police Directorate. The request focuses on the records of several faculty plenums, which allegedly contain plans to simulate the use of an acoustic device during the March 15 protest. Student groups have countered these claims, accusing the Prosecutor's Office of attempting to divert public attention from essential questions surrounding the events of that day by framing standard security analyses as evidence of a coordinated simulation.

The controversy dates back to the massive protest in Belgrade on March 15, 2025. During a 15-minute period of silence held for the victims of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad, an intense, sudden noise echoed through the crowd, described by witnesses as resembling a speeding aircraft or vehicle. The sound triggered widespread panic, leading many citizens to subsequently seek medical attention for symptoms including dizziness, headaches, nausea, and tinnitus.

Although the government initially denied the use of such equipment, subsequent reports revealed that police vehicles equipped with LRAD 450XL acoustic devices were present in Belgrade on the day of the protest. Despite calls from Brussels for an independent investigation, the local prosecution has focused on identifying individuals accused of spreading "false information" regarding the incident.

President Aleksandar Vucic has previously characterized the claims of a sound cannon attack as a premeditated attempt to destabilize the state. While international investigation was previously discussed, only a report from the Russian FSB was released, concluding that police LRAD emitters were not utilized during the protest.