Surveillance and Intimidation Cloud Serbia’s Upcoming Parliamentary Elections
As Serbia approaches critical October elections, reports of spyware, cyberattacks, and physical threats against activists and journalists spark alarm.
POLICY WIRE — Belgrade, Serbia — As the nation prepares for the October 25 parliamentary elections, a wave of intimidation, cyber-espionage, and physical violence is casting a long shadow over the democratic process. President Aleksandar Vucic faces his most significant political challenge to date, with a student-led movement—galvanized by the 2024 Novi Sad train station collapse that claimed 16 lives—now fielding 250 candidates.
The atmosphere of fear is palpable among those opposing the administration. Marko Marjanovic, a prominent social media commentator and vocal critic of the government, described being abducted by masked officers while returning from a supermarket. He was held in a police station basement in solitary confinement for two days under constant, bright lighting.
Digital rights organizations have documented a surge in sophisticated surveillance. The Share Foundation reported that at least 14 individuals from Serbian civil society were targeted with advanced spyware earlier this year. Furthermore, an investigation revealed that spyware from an Israeli firm was utilized to compromise the phone of the Belgrade University rector, a key figure in nearly two years of anti-government protests.
Cyber-threats have extended to the institutional level, with a Russian-linked operation infiltrating a Belgrade think tank. Hackers posing as Belarusian dissidents accessed 28,000 emails over a month, gathering sensitive data on relationships and vulnerabilities that could be weaponized via artificial intelligence. Simultaneously, a coordinated network of 332 inauthentic accounts has been identified, generating over 39,000 messages in just 12 days to manipulate political narratives.
International observers are increasingly vocal regarding the deteriorating environment for civic engagement. UN experts have expressed grave concern over the persistent use of digital surveillance, urging the Serbian government to protect democratic integrity and end the criminalization of political dissent. Meanwhile, journalists covering political rallies continue to face hostility and threats, a trend that has intensified throughout Vucic’s tenure.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
