Serbia considers selling controversial 'sound cannons' due to legal ban

Serbia's Ministry of Interior is considering selling LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) systems, commonly known as "sound cannons," due to their current legal status. Minister of Interior Ivica Dačić stated that the police possess these devices but cannot deploy them because the law does not permit their use, despite being acquired years ago when a similar legal framework was in place.

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These devices, we are ready to sell them. They were acquired years ago, but practically, since the law has not changed, the law has not allowed the use of these devices, they are absolutely not being applied.

Dačić explained that the LRADs have different modes, including one for issuing warnings over long distances with high power, useful during natural disasters, and another for emitting pulsating sounds to disperse crowds. However, he confirmed that neither mode has been used by Serbian police. The ministry is now prepared to sell the devices, as they remain practically unused due to legal restrictions.

This potential sale has drawn criticism, with former police inspector Milan Dumanović questioning the rationale behind purchasing the devices if their use was never legally sanctioned. He suggested that the initial acquisition might have violated the law and involved multiple individuals. Dumanović also raised concerns about the safety of officers who were present with vehicles equipped with these non-standard tactical devices.

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The law was completely violated here, and many people were involved in this. So, weapons were bought, even those weapons, we saw, were placed on Ministry of Internal Affairs vehicles, and then those members, the lowest ones, who were next to those vehicles, should ask themselves how they could even be next to vehicles where something was placed that tactically does not belong to those vehicles at all.

Filip Švarm, editor at Vreme magazine, views the proposed sale with suspicion, likening it to "removing evidence." He argues that selling the devices could obscure the circumstances of their acquisition and potential use, making it difficult to ascertain facts later. Critics also point to the government's response to inquiries about such equipment, suggesting a pattern of retaliation rather than transparent answers, citing the case of military analyst Aleksandar Radić, who reportedly faces charges after questioning the use of acoustic weapons.

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At first glance, that sale looks like removing evidence. When you remove evidence, they can say in two or three months that there couldn't have been a sound cannon, because simply, there is no sound cannon, they sold it.