Serbia’s election enters its final days under a cloud of intimidation claims

What happened

Serbia goes to the polls on October 25 with the campaign overshadowed by allegations that activists, journalists and opposition figures are being pressured, attacked or digitally monitored. The claims have sharpened the stakes around a vote that has become the strongest test of Aleksandar Vucic’s long political dominance.

Reuters reported that activist Marko Marjanovic was taken by masked officers to a police-station basement and held alone for two days. He also described being beaten during an anti-government protest in August 2025. A separate video verified by Reuters showed architect Dusan Radovic being struck by riot police during a protest in Valjevo. An independent forensic report said 25 people were badly beaten that night, though Serbia’s Interior Ministry did not respond to questions about the findings.

The pressure extends into the digital sphere. The SHARE Foundation said 14 people connected to the protest movement had been targeted with advanced spyware. Jelena Kontic said Apple warned her that Pegasus might have been installed on her phone; she said later forensic checks supported that concern. Reuters could not determine who was responsible, while Serbian security officials rejected allegations of state involvement.

Student protesters who emerged after the 2024 Novi Sad station-canopy collapse are fielding 250 candidates. A poll cited by Reuters put them roughly level with Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party. Vucic and his party deny repression and corruption accusations. The election will therefore test not only voter support, but whether critics can campaign freely in an increasingly polarised political environment.

Image: Viktoriia Kondratiuk / Unsplash. Serbian Parliament building (National Assembly) in Belgrade, Serbia. Image usage terms.

Sources

• Reuters