{"id":10091,"date":"2026-03-15T12:53:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgcentar.org.rs\/?p=10091"},"modified":"2026-03-27T08:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T07:50:17","slug":"one-year-since-15-march-no-accountability-and-no-justice-for-the-protest-incident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgcentar.org.rs\/en\/one-year-since-15-march-no-accountability-and-no-justice-for-the-protest-incident\/","title":{"rendered":"One year since 15 March: no accountability and no justice for the protest incident"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>Belgrade <\/span>Centre <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights <\/span>draws <\/span>public <\/span>attention <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>fact <\/span>that <\/span>one <\/span>year <\/span>after <\/span>the <\/span>incident <\/span>that <\/span>took <\/span>place <\/span>on <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span>in <\/span>Belgrade, <\/span>the <\/span>institutions <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Republic <\/span>of <\/span>Serbia <\/span>have <\/span>shown <\/span>no <\/span>intention <\/span>of <\/span>conducting <\/span>an <\/span>investigation, <\/span>establishing <\/span>the <\/span>facts, <\/span>or <\/span>determining <\/span>responsibility <\/span><\/strong>for <\/span>the <\/span>violent <\/span>disruption <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>peaceful <\/span>assembly <\/span>through <\/span>the <\/span>use <\/span>of <\/span>some <\/span>type <\/span>of <\/span>sonic <\/span>device <\/span>that <\/span>endangered <\/span>the <\/span>safety <\/span>and <\/span>health <\/span>of <\/span>thousands <\/span>of <\/span>citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since <\/span>May <\/span>last <\/span>year, <\/span>the <\/span>First <\/span>Basic <\/span>Public <\/span>Prosecutor\u2019s <\/span>Office <\/span>in <\/span>Belgrade <\/span>has <\/span>been <\/span>repeating <\/span>the <\/span>same <\/span><\/strong>information<\/strong>: <\/span>that <\/span>statements <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>taken <\/span>from <\/span>around <\/span>170 <\/span>citizens <\/span>out <\/span>of <\/span>approximately <\/span>200 <\/span>who <\/span>expressed <\/span>their <\/span>willingness <\/span>to <\/span>testify; <\/span>that <\/span>reports <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>obtained <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>Ministry <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Interior, <\/span>the <\/span>Ministry <\/span>of <\/span>Defence, <\/span>the <\/span>Security <\/span>Information <\/span>Agency, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>Ministry <\/span>of <\/span>Health; <\/span>and <\/span>that <\/span>video <\/span>recordings <\/span>from <\/span>security <\/span>cameras <\/span>at <\/span>locations <\/span>indicated <\/span>by <\/span>citizens <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>collected. <\/span>The <\/span>case <\/span>has <\/span>still <\/span>not <\/span>been <\/span>legally <\/span>classified <\/span>and <\/span>remains <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>pre-<\/span>investigation <\/span>phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>August <\/span>2025, <\/span>the <\/span>Prosecutor\u2019s <\/span>Office <\/span>for <\/span>Organised <\/span>Crime <\/span>concluded <\/span>that <\/span>it <\/span>had <\/span>no <\/span>jurisdiction <\/span>to <\/span>act <\/span>in <\/span>this <\/span><\/strong>case<\/strong>, <\/span>dismissing <\/span>without <\/span>explanation (<\/span>under <\/span>the <\/span>pretext <\/span>of \u201c<\/span>strict <\/span>confidentiality\u201d) <\/span>several <\/span>criminal <\/span>complaints <\/span>filed <\/span>on <\/span>suspicion <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>criminal <\/span>offence <\/span>of <\/span>terrorism <\/span>against <\/span>the <\/span>citizens <\/span>of <\/span>Serbia, <\/span>and <\/span>transferring <\/span>the <\/span>matter <\/span>back <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>First <\/span>Basic <\/span>Public <\/span>Prosecutor\u2019s <\/span>Office <\/span>in <\/span>Belgrade. <\/span>Recent <\/span>legislative <\/span>changes <\/span>that <\/span>have <\/span>weakened <\/span>the <\/span>prosecution <\/span>service <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>justice <\/span>system <\/span>further <\/span>reduce <\/span>institutional <\/span>capacity <\/span>and <\/span>independence, <\/span>creating <\/span>a <\/span>real <\/span>risk <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>case <\/span>will <\/span>deliberately <\/span>remain <\/span>unresolved <\/span>and <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>only <\/span>official <\/span>analysis <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>events <\/span>of <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span>presented <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>Serbian <\/span>authorities <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>the <\/span>assessment <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Federal <\/span>Security <\/span>Service <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Russian <\/span>Federation.<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike <\/span>the <\/span>institutions <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Republic <\/span>of <\/span>Serbia, <\/span>international <\/span>bodies <\/span>and <\/span>organisations <\/span>are <\/span>conducting <\/span>procedures <\/span>aimed <\/span>at <\/span>establishing <\/span>the <\/span>circumstances <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>incident <\/span>in <\/span>which <\/span>the <\/span>human <\/span>rights <\/span>of <\/span>several <\/span>thousand <\/span>citizens <\/span>were <\/span>allegedly <\/span>violated. <\/span>In <\/span>April <\/span>2025, <\/span><\/strong>the <\/span>European <\/span>Court <\/span>of <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights <\/span>adopted <\/span>an <\/span>interim <\/span>measure <\/span>ordering <\/span><\/strong>Serbia<\/strong> <\/span><\/a>to <\/span>refrain <\/span>from <\/span>using <\/span>sonic <\/span>devices <\/span>for <\/span>crowd <\/span>control <\/span>until <\/span>further <\/span>notice. <\/span>Proceedings <\/span>are <\/span>also <\/span>ongoing <\/span>before <\/span>the <\/span>Court <\/span>in <\/span>Strasbourg <\/span>based <\/span>on <\/span>an <\/span>application <\/span>filed <\/span>by <\/span>citizens <\/span>who <\/span>were <\/span>victims <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span><\/strong>incident<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/strong><\/span>United <\/span>Nations <\/span>High <\/span>Commissioner <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights <\/span>has <\/span>expressed <\/span>readiness <\/span>for <\/span>his <\/span>Office <\/span>to <\/span>conduct <\/span>a <\/span>fact-<\/span>finding <\/span><\/strong><\/a>mission<\/a>. <\/span>A <\/span>thorough <\/span>investigation <\/span>has <\/span>also <\/span>been <\/span>requested <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>UN <\/span>Special <\/span>Rapporteur <\/span>on <\/span><\/a><\/strong>torture<\/strong>, <\/span>while <\/span>six <\/span>UN <\/span>Special <\/span>Rapporteurs <\/span><\/a>have <\/span>stated <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>information <\/span>received <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>Serbian <\/span>authorities <\/span>regarding <\/span>the <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span><\/strong>incident <\/span>raises <\/span>serious <\/span>concerns <\/span>about <\/span>the <\/span>full <\/span>implementation <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Government <\/span>of <\/span>Serbia\u2019s <\/span>obligations <\/span>to <\/span>respect <\/span>and <\/span>protect <\/span>the <\/span>rights <\/span>and <\/span>fundamental <\/span>freedoms <\/span>of <\/span>its <\/span>citizens. <\/span>An <\/span>urgent <\/span>investigation <\/span>has <\/span>also <\/span>been <\/span>requested <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>Council <\/span>of <\/span>Europe <\/span>Commissioner <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span><\/a><\/strong>Rights<\/strong>, <\/span>while <\/span>the <\/span>European <\/span>Commission <\/span>noted <\/span>in <\/span>its <\/span>2025 <\/span>report <\/span>on <\/span>Serbia <\/span><\/a>that <\/span>there <\/span>had <\/span>been <\/span>no <\/span>credible <\/span>measures <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>Serbian <\/span>authorities <\/span>to <\/span>refute <\/span>the <\/span>use <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>sonic <\/span><\/strong>device<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

One <\/span>year <\/span>after <\/span>the <\/span>incident <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>largest <\/span>public <\/span>gathering <\/span>in <\/span>Serbia\u2019s <\/span>recent <\/span>history, <\/span>state <\/span>institutions <\/span>are <\/span>demonstrating <\/span>a <\/span>complete <\/span>lack <\/span>of <\/span>willingness <\/span>to <\/span>fulfil <\/span>their <\/span>duty <\/span>to <\/span>their <\/span>own <\/span>citizens <\/span>by <\/span>taking <\/span>the <\/span>necessary <\/span><\/strong>steps<\/strong>: <\/span>conducting <\/span>an <\/span>independent, <\/span>credible <\/span>and <\/span>transparent <\/span>investigation <\/span>into <\/span>the <\/span>events <\/span>of <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span>2025, <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>participation <\/span>or <\/span>assistance <\/span>of <\/span>relevant <\/span>international <\/span>bodies; <\/span>publicly <\/span>answering <\/span>key <\/span>questions <\/span>about <\/span>what <\/span>exactly <\/span>happened, <\/span>who <\/span>authorised <\/span>and <\/span>used <\/span>the <\/span>device <\/span>and <\/span>under <\/span>what <\/span>circumstances; <\/span>and <\/span>taking <\/span>concrete <\/span>measures <\/span>to <\/span>ensure <\/span>accountability <\/span>and <\/span>prevent <\/span>similar <\/span>incidents <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following <\/span>the <\/span>protest <\/span>on <\/span>15 <\/span>March, <\/span>around <\/span>4,000 <\/span>citizens <\/span>contacted <\/span>civil <\/span>society <\/span>organisations \u2014 <\/span>the <\/span>Belgrade <\/span>Centre <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights, <\/span>CRTA, <\/span>the <\/span>Lawyers\u2019 <\/span>Committee <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights (<\/span>YUCOM), <\/span>Civic <\/span>Initiatives, <\/span>FemPlatz, <\/span>and <\/span>A11 \u2013 <\/span>Initiative <\/span>for <\/span>Economic <\/span>and <\/span>Social <\/span>Rights \u2014 <\/span>sharing <\/span>testimonies <\/span>about <\/span>the <\/span>consequences <\/span>they <\/span>experienced, <\/span>ranging <\/span>from <\/span>feelings <\/span>of <\/span>panic <\/span>and <\/span>fear <\/span>to <\/span>physical <\/span>injuries. <\/span>More <\/span>than <\/span>3,000 <\/span>anonymised <\/span>testimonies <\/span>are <\/span>publicly <\/span>available <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>platform <\/span>zvuk.<\/span>labs.<\/span>rs<\/span><\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

You <\/span>can <\/span>watch <\/span>the <\/span>appearance <\/span>of <\/span>Vladica <\/span>Ili\u0107 <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>Belgrade <\/span>Centre <\/span>for <\/span>Human <\/span>Rights <\/span>on <\/span>N1 <\/span>television <\/span>marking <\/span>one <\/span>year <\/span>since <\/span>the <\/span>incident <\/span>of <\/span>15 <\/span>March <\/span>in <\/span>Belgrade <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>alleged <\/span>use <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>sonic <\/span>device.<\/span><\/p>\n