A coalition of Serbian CSOs, including BCSDN member Civic Initiatives has called for the urgent establishment of an independent UN fact-finding mission to investigate the alleged use of an acoustic device during the 15 March 2025 protest in Belgrade. The organisations express serious concern that the investigation has shifted away from determining responsibility for the incident towards examining students, victims, experts and civil society actors who documented the case and provided legal assistance. They argue that the case, initially assigned to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime, was transferred without explanation and has since been handled ineffectively. The groups reject allegations that students staged the incident, noting that the cited student document referred only to the potential risk of authorities using such a device. Given the scale of reported harm, ongoing proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights and the lack of public confidence in domestic investigations, they urge Serbian authorities to request an independent UN investigation to establish the facts and ensure accountability. Read more here.
Source: BCSDN