UN Rapporteur Romero: Serbian government response disappointing

“I have to say that it's very disappointing, the response of the government. The government says that nobody from the Ministry of the Interior, Defense, Health, or Security and Information Agency heard, saw, or used the so-called sound weapon, which contradicts thousands of people who did hear it and then felt the impact, she said, recalling that the sonic weapon was alleged to have been used during the silent memorial observed for the victims of the Novi Sad Railway Station tragedy.

Romero recalled that other international bodies are monitoring the situation adding that this is important because it increases the pressure on the government. She said more pressure and action is needed from the international community, especially the European Union and the EU member state governments, to try to exert pressure for prompt accountability and information of what happened that day.

The special rapporteur said she wrote to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture prior to its visit to Serbia. “Perhaps the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture can take this. And although their visit is focused on people deprived of liberty, I think that perhaps they can try to also ask the government just to see what happened that day,” she added.

“The international community needs at some point to ensure that the Serbian government does their due diligence and then to actually promote accountability and access to justice and reparation if at some point any of the victims need it for the use of the weapon,” Romero said.

She recalled the “absolute prohibition of the use of torture by any government”. “So this is very, very grave. This is very important. This is why it's very important that a fact-checking mission is allowed,” she said.

“Peaceful protests need to be protected from external threats. That is part of the commitments that states acquire. When the government fails, these protections also fail in its commitment to the protection of human rights,” Romero added.