Serbian opposition leaders and political parties issued a wave of fierce condemnations on Monday, accusing President Aleksandar Vučić of abusing the judiciary and state police forces to orchestrate a campaign of “personal revenge” and mass intimidation against critics.
The political backlash exploded just hours after the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade authorized police raids targeting the properties of prominent military analyst Aleksandar Radić, alongside the aggressive interrogation of Vojkan Kostić, Editor-in-Chief of the independent news agency Beta. The state-led sweeps are part of a broadening, high-stakes investigation into the alleged deployment of an acoustic “sonic cannon” against civilians during a massive anti-government rally on March 15, 2025.
Opposition Leaders Decry ‘Pathological’ Repression
Marinika Tepić, Vice President of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), lambasted the raids on Radić’s residence—which reportedly extended to the home of his ex-wife—as a clear abuse of power by the executive.
““Raiding the apartment of a well-known military analyst simply because he spoke out about the sonic cannon is not an investigation; it is the personal revenge of Aleksandar Vučić,”” Tepić stated in a written address. ““Vučić is weaponizing the police and the prosecutor’s office as a club against anyone who dares to question his lies.””
Tepić asserted that the administration is systematically hunting down independent experts who pose questions of massive public importance, rather than investigating deeper systemic issues. She warned: “”Stop yourself, Vučić—your steps reek of fear. Go ahead and arrest us all, but know that persecuting free-thinking people will not keep you in power.””
Framing Students as Terrorists
The People’s Movement of Serbia strongly mirrored the condemnation, labeling the sudden judicial assault on Radić and journalist Vojkan Kostić as entirely unacceptable tools of political warfare.
- Atmosphere of Fear: The party emphasized that the state’s actions send a highly dangerous warning to Serbian society, signaling that a publicly spoken word or dissenting opinion will lead to criminal retaliation.
- The “Color Revolution” Narrative: The party exposed the state’s broader strategy, warning that the “sonic cannon” investigation is being weaponized to frame the student movement as a terrorist organization allegedly coordinating a foreign-backed “color revolution.”
- History of Interventions: They recalled that the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP) previously raided their own political headquarters on March 29 during local elections, defining this latest wave as an aggressive escalation of systemic political repression.
Demand for the Truth
The defense and internal affairs committee of the Srbija Centar (SRCE) party joined the outcry, identifying the raids as a blunt attempt to terrorize Radić, who was simply one of the first experts to technically analyze how acoustic weaponry could be deployed for crowd control.
| Political Body | Core Concern | Primary Demand |
| Srbija Centar (SRCE) | Interrogation of Beta editor Vojkan Kostić under Article 320 (“Preparing acts against the Constitutional Order”) signals a terrifying precedent for free journalism. | Demands the immediate and complete public release of all state findings regarding the March 15, 2025 incident. |
““Trust in institutions is not built through raids and intimidation, but through the truth,”” SRCE stated in its official press release. ““The citizens of this country deserve a clear, transparent answer as to what happened that day and who ordered it. We will not stop asking this question.””
As the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office aggressively pivots its investigation to allegations of a civilian-led plot to “simulate” a weapon deployment, the opposition remains unified in its stance that the state is desperately attempting to bury a major case of police brutality.
