Latest news with #AleksandarVulin
Russia Today
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia to probe ‘sonic weapon' incident
The Serbian government is preparing for a visit from a group of Russian experts to probe allegations regarding the deployment of a 'sonic weapon' during recent mass protests, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has announced. The opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) has accused security forces of utilizing a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a crowd-control technology originally designed by the US Navy, which poses a significant risk of hearing damage. The incident occurred on March 15 during mass protests in the capital, Belgrade, which the government has claimed are foreign-instigated efforts to undermine its authority through popular unrest. In an interview with RTS on Wednesday, Vulin rejected the claims that LRAD had been deployed and announced that specialists from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) will arrive in Serbia to conduct an inquiry. Read more Serbia blames 'US deep state' for mass protests 'Their task is to clarify what transpired. We have nothing to conceal,' Vulin stated, emphasizing Belgrade's commitment to a thorough investigation in hopes of moving beyond the controversy. President Aleksandar Vucic's government has alleged that the US 'deep state' and European intelligence agencies are inciting the wave of protests in retaliation for Serbia's refusal to endorse anti-Russian policies. The EU has insisted that Belgrade align its foreign policy with Brussels, before a Serbian bid to join the bloc could proceed. The ongoing protests stem from a tragic event in Novi Sad last November, where 16 lives were lost due to the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station, leading to multiple resignations among senior officials. The demonstration on March 15 represented the peak of the pressure campaign. Claims of the 'sonic weapon' deployment were propagated by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), a USAID-funded NGO supported by George Soros' Open Society Foundations.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Death toll in Serbia railway station roof collapse now 16
The death toll in the collapse of a train station roof in Serbia,which has triggered months of anti-government protests, rose to 16 Friday after a teenager died of his injuries. The boy was being treated at a military hospital in the capital Belgrade since the disaster in Novi Sad last November. "Despite all measures taken and the utmost dedication of our staff, the patient (born in 2006) succumbed to complex injuries and related complications," the hospital said on its website. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family." Soon after news of his death broke, a black flag was raised on the building of the Novi Sad School of Economics, which he attended, and mourners laid flowers and lit candles. "You will forever be a part of our stories, our memories, and our hearts," read one banner left outside the school by pupils. The concrete roof at the Novi Sad station came crashing down on November 1, killing 14 people at the time, aged between six and 74. Three others were injured, one of whom died two weeks later. Public outrage over the tragedy sparked nationwide protests. Many critics blamed the deaths on corruption and inadequate oversight of construction projects, especially as restoration work at the train station had been completed shortly before the accident. Protesters are demanding that those responsible be held accountable, that arrested demonstrators be released, and that the system be made less corrupt. On Friday evening, students and citizens marched once again through the streets of Novi Sad to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy. Also on Friday in the southern city of Nis, protesters confronted supporters of the governing Serbian Progressive Party, who were planning to gather and meet party officials. The police separated the groups, but protesters threw eggs and water at them, with the mayor of Nis among those targeted. - Massive protests - Last Saturday, between 100,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have taken part in a mass rally in Belgrade, the largest in Serbian history. The largely peaceful demonstration was disrupted after an unknown noise caused a brief panic in some areas. Some protesters and members of the political opposition allege the authorities used an acoustic cannon –- a military device used to disperse crowds -- a charge the government has denied. The Council of Europe rights body said it was "very concerned about the escalation of tensions in the country" and called for a thorough investigation of the incident. - 'Grateful' to Russia - Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Novi Sad and other cities in recent months, in the biggest challenge to the 12-year rule of populist President Aleksandar Vucic. He has responded by alternating between calls for dialogue and claims that the demonstrators are backed by foreign powers. Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin picked up that narrative in comments on Friday. Serbia's authorities were "grateful to the Russian special services for the information that helps in the fight against the 'colour revolution'", Vulin told Russia's RIA state news agency. The protests have led to the resignation of several high-ranking officials in Serbia, including the prime minister, who is currently serving a one-month caretaker mandate. More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the tragedy, including former transport minister Goran Vesic, who resigned days after the incident. oz-cbo/jj/js
Russia Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Serbia will revisit foreign agents law
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has vowed to keep pushing for a law which would brand foreign-funded NGOs as 'foreign agents,' amid Belgrade's claims that the protests rocking Serbia are getting money from abroad. Vulin's Movement of Socialists (PS) party, a junior member of the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), proposed the legislation in November. The same month, the country was hit with a wave of protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad which led to the death of 15 people. The demonstrations, primarily involving students, have since spread to the capital Belgrade, leading Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to claim that foreign agitators were behind the unrest. 'PS will not give up its intention to pass the law on foreign agents. Color revolutions cannot be carried out without a lot of money, and it is allocated and distributed through NGOs,' Deputy PM Vulin told Izvestia in an interview published on Thursday. 'There is the experience of Russia, China, Belarus and other countries that have defeated the West's attempts to destroy them in the streets,' he said, adding that he will continue pushing for the law, despite the current lack of support from the ruling coalition. Vulin added that he 'will not stop opposing Soros and the Western intelligence services that are destroying us.' Read more Serbian leader warns of Western backed 'color revolution' Hungarian-American investor and billionaire George Soros is well known for financing liberal movements and political candidates across the Western world, including in Serbia. According to a January 2001 article in the Los Angeles Times, 'his Soros Foundations Network helped finance several pro-democracy groups, including the student organization Otpor, which spearheaded grass-roots resistance to the authoritarian Yugoslav leader' Slobodan Milosevic. The proposed legislation would require NGOs receiving over half their funding from abroad and engaging in political activities to register as foreign agents. In December 2024, the Serbian President said that he would not support the bill. 'My answer is no,' Vucic told reporters when asked if he would endorse the draft, but added that parts of it based on its US, European and Russian counterparts could be accepted. Brussels has expressed deep concern over the bill, stressing that as an EU candidate, Serbia is expected to uphold the bloc's principles. Read more The EU's hidden agenda: Why this ex-Soviet state's sovereignty faces resistance 'As with similar initiatives in other candidate countries, such as in the case of Georgia,' the European Economic and Social Committee stresses that such laws are incompatible with 'the fundamental values of the European Union,' the EESC said in a statement in December of last year. A similar law, based on the US foreign agents legislation, was adopted by the Georgian parliament in May 2024 and sparked mass protests as well as a Western backlash. Washington sanctioned officials from the ruling party in Tbilisi and froze around $95 million in aid in response, while the EU suspended Georgia's membership application process. Tbilisi has accused Western countries of interfering in its home affairs, and trying to start a color revolution.
