On Wednesday 30 April, the European Court of Human Rights, ruling exceptionally on demonstrations in progress, announced that it was taking an “interim measure” to prohibit Serbia from using “sound devices for crowd control”.
This decision follows a request from 47 Serbian nationals, who testified to loud sounds and sound waves that occurred on 15 March 2025 during the fifteen minutes of silence observed in tribute to the victims of the collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad station in November 2024.
The phenomenon caused severe symptoms (shock, tachycardia, vomiting, etc.) and injuries as a result of the panic.
It was mentioned by some 4,000 people.
The Court pointed out that its decision was not tantamount to taking a position on the use or non-use of sonic weapons on 15 March and noted that the use of such devices is already prohibited in Serbia. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)