Diaspora election news digest

SERBIA
ELECTION WATCH

Issue 04  |  Thursday, 22 October 2026
Early parliamentary elections: Sunday, 25 October 2026

Produced by informal Serbian diaspora organisations supporting student-led demands for democracy, the rule of law and accountability.

Also published online: 1152.nl/en/serbia-election-watch

Executive summary | An expanded edition

An unusually long edition for an extraordinary final week.

With Sunday's parliamentary elections almost upon us, major developments are emerging faster than a weekly briefing can comfortably contain. This expanded issue brings together new organised-crime revelations, election-monitoring findings, pressure on journalists and activists, international warnings and a worldwide diaspora mobilisation. The stories are connected by the central question of this election: can citizens make their choice freely, and will that choice be respected?

At a glance: Radar publishes Sky ECC exchanges directly naming Aleksandar Vučić; election watchdog CRTA documents 116 campaign incidents involving violence or threats; KRIK uncovers dubious voter-registration practices in Vienna; seven US senators issue a bipartisan appeal; 44 diaspora organisations urge protection of election participants; and Serbian communities abroad prepare to vote, some through the night.

For journalists: Many Serbian voters are expected to arrive to vote around noon at the embassy polling station in The Hague on Sunday 25 October. Journalists are welcome to report on voter arrivals and speak with willing voters outside the polling station. No rally or organised gathering is planned. See Feature 06 for contact details.

In this issue

Sky messages depict direct links between Vučić's inner circle and drug-trafficking networks

The most consequential new investigation comes from Radar, which published further decrypted Sky ECC exchanges on 22 October. In conversations attributed to associates of convicted cocaine trafficker Darko Šarić, participants explicitly identify Aleksandar Vučić as the man they call “Oskar” and “Čvarak”. Earlier correspondence had left that identification to inference; the newly published messages make it explicit in the words of the participants themselves.

The exchanges describe contact with Andrej Vučić, his brother, and people connected to Danilo Vučić, his son. They also contain claims about organising some 2,000 votes, a purported €2.1 million contribution to the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), and attempts to secure favourable treatment for Šarić, including a possible pardon. The alleged contribution and promised arrangements have not been independently established as facts.

The revelations extend beyond the Šarić network. Messages attributed to Radomir Baćović, associated with the rival Škaljari clan, describe an offer he said came directly from Vučić and discussions involving then-interior minister Aleksandar Vulin and security officials. In other words, the people in these communications describe close, direct relationships between Serbia's political leadership and figures associated with rival organised-crime groups, not merely incidental acquaintances.

These are documented allegations contained in criminal communications, not judicial findings against Vučić or proof that every assertion in the chats is accurate. Vučić and the SNS had not publicly answered questions about the earlier “Oskar” reporting at the time those questions were put to them. The specificity of the alleged connections nonetheless makes the report central to an election shaped by demands to end corruption and impunity.

Sources: Radar's new investigation, 22 October · Radar's earlier report, 15 October · Vreme on the earlier evidence and unanswered questions

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Election integrity: CRTA's findings and KRIK's Vienna recordings

Election watchdog CRTA says the campaign has been marked by narrowing freedoms and unequal conditions. It records 116 incidents involving violence or threats, extensive suspected misuse of public office or resources, and pressure linked to public-sector employment or social benefits. CRTA also questions the authenticity of seven of the 18 registered electoral lists, warning about possible dummy lists. These are findings about the environment in which votes are cast, not a claim that the result has already been decided.

A KRIK undercover investigation published on Wednesday raises serious questions about voting from abroad. Secret recordings from Vienna show an SNS-supporting association apparently helping people register outside the authorised consular process. Participants spoke of access to the Serbian embassy and of favouring Vučić supporters. A representative disputed aspects of KRIK's account and denied direct party affiliation. The recordings warrant independent scrutiny of whether registration rules were applied equally.

Sources: CRTA's campaign assessment · KRIK's Vienna recordings

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Media dominance, party bot networks and a search of a student's home

Television monitoring by CRTA and BIRODI shows exceptionally unequal coverage in favour of the governing camp. The digital campaign has also drawn scrutiny: Vreme linked 1,241 users of alleged SNS messaging software to internet networks at 231 public institutions, many during working hours. Much of the underlying data dates from 2022–24, so the findings should not be taken as proof that every account remains active today.

On Thursday, lawyer Ivan Ninić reported that police were seeking student Andrej Premović in connection with ocisti.net, which publishes information about the alleged SNS bot network. The Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor's Office subsequently confirmed that police had searched Premović's home but stated that he had not been arrested or detained. Prosecutors cited suspicion of unauthorised computer access. The sequence adds a troubling pre-election controversy, although no arrest or detention was confirmed.

Sources: CRTA · BIRODI/ANEM · Vreme's bot investigation · N1 on the initial account · N1 on the prosecutors' clarification

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International pressure rises as observers prepare to deploy

Seven US senators, from both parties, have called for a fair vote, the safety of journalists and observers, and respect for the result. Signatories include Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, Roger Wicker, Dick Durbin, Chris Murphy and Thom Tillis. The statement is available on Senator Grassley's official website for readers unable to access the Senate Foreign Relations Committee website.

A PACE pre-election delegation warned of polarisation, threats, unbalanced conditions and concerns about overseas voting. A 20-member PACE delegation and approximately 80 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly observers are among those preparing to monitor the election with other international missions. Their joint preliminary assessment is expected on Monday 26 October. The European Left has backed the Student List; the European Greens have called for democratic safeguards, while Europe's social-democratic family has supported the competing European Serbia list.

Sources: Bipartisan US Senate statement · PACE findings · PACE mission · OSCE PA · European Left · European Greens

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Forty-four diaspora organisations seek protection for election participants

On Wednesday 21 October, 44 Serbian diaspora organisations sent an urgent appeal to international officials at the OSCE/ODIHR, Council of Europe, EU, US Congress, UN and Venice Commission. They ask that diplomatic and legal channels be used to encourage Serbia's authorities to protect voters, polling staff, observers, journalists and peaceful protesters before, during and after election day.

The appeal cites documented violence during previous local elections, allegations of organised intimidation and firearms, and concerns about overseas voting arrangements. It urges neutral, proportionate policing and credible investigations of attacks while expressly respecting Serbia's sovereignty. The letter's focus is the physical safety of participants and the peaceful exercise of democratic rights.

Full letter: Read the appeal of 21 October and its signatories (PDF).

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The diaspora vote: a global media story — and voters heading to The Hague

CRTA reports that 102,147 voters have been assigned to 93 overseas polling stations. All stations must operate 07:00–20:00 Serbian time, forcing people in parts of the Americas and Asia-Pacific to vote overnight. In Sydney and Melbourne, for example, that means 17:00–06:00 local time. Some communities have announced symbolic “pyjama protests”; diaspora volunteers are arranging transport and free places to stay, including through VoteBnB.

In the Netherlands, large numbers of Serbian voters are expected to arrive around 12:00 noon on Sunday 25 October to cast their ballots at the embassy polling station in The Hague. This is an expected arrival of voters, not an organised gathering or campaign event. According to the Unified Voter Register (JBS), 1,934 voters are registered for this single polling station. Some diaspora representatives estimate that at least 90% of votes cast there will go to the Student List, No. 3, based on previous voting patterns.

Journalists are invited to document the arrival of voters, speak with willing voters and report on the distances they have travelled. Diaspora contacts can help newsrooms find people at other overseas polling stations.

Media contact: holandija.dijaspora@gmail.com · +31 6 1081 8506 · 1152.nl

Sources: CRTA on overseas voting and local hours · N1 on the JBS count of 1,934 voters in the Netherlands · Information from diaspora representatives on voter arrivals and media enquiries.

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Campaign-week round-up

Violence, intimidation and security forces

• Six arrests before polling day: Prosecutors allege six people planned election-day violence. These are allegations, not convictions; critics have questioned the timing. Reuters
• Security officials urge neutrality: Former senior police and intelligence figures appealed to current officers to uphold the constitution and the law rather than political instructions. N1
• An international view: In a new report, Reuters documents accounts of beatings, surveillance, cyberattacks and threats facing Serbian activists and journalists. Reuters

Press freedom and public information

• Media Freedom Rapid Response reports 157 attacks or threats affecting 261 journalists and media workers in Serbia during 2026. ECPMF
• Journalist Nemanja Šarović reported being attacked while investigating a suspected SNS call-centre operation. Responsibility remains to be established. KTV
• Ten N1 journalists and editors resigned amid concerns over editorial independence, covered in our previous edition. N1

Campaign finale and the contested polls

• Students and supporters arrived in Belgrade ahead of Thursday's “Pobeda zove” (“Victory calls”) rally at Slavija Square. At Wednesday's SNS rally in Niš, independent crowd-monitoring group Arhiv javnih skupova estimated attendance at around 19,000. AP · Južne vesti
• A NSPM telephone survey (1,050 respondents, fieldwork 25 September–5 October) reported 44.5% for the Student List and 42.7% for Vučić's list among decided respondents. Other polling and aggregations differ; none is a definitive forecast. NSPM
• The European Council on Foreign Relations outlines five possible post-election scenarios, including the risks of disputes over the result. ECFR

Overseas voting restrictions and administration

• Thirteen overseas polling stations serving 10,851 voters will be affected by local nighttime hours under Serbia's uniform timetable. CRTA
• Bosnia and Herzegovina approved voting at 27 locations, while Serbian electoral figures identify 28 polling stations there. The disproportionate allocation has prompted questions about political influence, especially given Vučić's allies in Republika Srpska; this is an allegation about motive, not an established finding. Host-country authorisation and Serbia's selection of stations are distinct decisions. Anadolu Agency · CRTA

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News in brief

• Possible vote-buying in Beočin: Prosecutors are checking an allegation that money was offered for votes; wrongdoing is not established. N1
• Dubious voter-register addresses: Reports from Kraljevo and Subotica include alleged voters registered at commercial premises and “floor 0, flat 0” addresses. Officials have yet to resolve the questions publicly. N1 Kraljevo · N1/CRTA Subotica
• A Belgrade voter's surprise transfer to Banja Luka adds to questions about how overseas entries are checked. Vreme
• Marked ballots: Civil-society group Kareja warns that personalised marks on ballots may be used to prove a vote to someone applying pressure. Danas
• Croatia advises against unnecessary travel to Serbia around the election. N1
• From Novi Sad to EXPO — more construction failings: The Novi Sad canopy collapse, which killed 16 people in 2024, sparked the protests that led to these elections. Now CINS has exposed more than 270 construction and design defects in the EXPO 2027 residential project. Most were reportedly corrected, but experts question some remedies. The findings do not, by themselves, establish corruption. CINS investigation
• New evidence in an activist's alleged abduction: CINS published call recordings and testimony concerning an April assault in Resnik, including claims that assailants impersonated police. Proceedings are ongoing. CINS

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And finally | A Serbian municipality discovers the rulebook

Municipal inspectors in Niš–Medijana did something unexpectedly mundane: they ordered the removal of an SNS rally stage because the organisers lacked permission to occupy the public square. For a fleeting moment, ordinary administrative rules appeared to apply to the governing party too.

The happy ending has a caveat. The rally went ahead, the stage's removal was not confirmed, and local municipal police reportedly failed to assist the inspectors. Elsewhere, however, an SNS campaign “black box” really was removed from a square in Leskovac. The reason remains unclear. There may yet be life in the municipal rulebook.

Sources: Insajder on the Niš order · Rešetka on the Leskovac removal

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Key dates ahead

• Thursday 22 October: Final campaign rallies and last-minute official decisions.
• Friday 23 October, 00:00 Serbian time: Election silence begins and lasts until polling stations close on Sunday at 20:00. RIK timetable via RTS
• Sunday 25 October, 07:00–20:00 Serbian time: Parliamentary election; voting worldwide under Serbian-time hours. Many voters are expected to arrive in The Hague around 12:00 local time.
• Monday 26 October: Expected joint preliminary assessment by international election observers; scrutiny of counting, results and reactions.

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Coming issues

Issue 05, Monday 26 October: Election-night results, observer findings and reported irregularities. Issue 06, Thursday 29 October: Reactions, legal challenges and the developing political situation.

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Publisher and media enquiries

About Serbia Election Watch

Serbia Election Watch is produced by informal organisations of Serbians in the diaspora that support the student-led protests for democracy, the rule of law and against corruption in Serbia. It provides sourced, English-language briefings for journalists, policymakers and international institutions before, during and after the parliamentary elections of 25 October 2026.

Through the editor, journalists and policymakers can request introductions to student activists involved in the protests, parliamentary candidates on the Student List, and Serbian diaspora organisations and activists around the world. Introductions are arranged subject to availability and consent.

Editorial and media contact
Informal association Holandija Dijaspora
holandija.dijaspora@gmail.com
Signal / WhatsApp: +31 6 1081 8506

Editorial note: This briefing identifies its publishers’ support for the student-led movement. News summaries are based on linked independent reporting, election-observation material and official institutional documents; official statements are cited as those institutions’ positions, not as independent verification. Attributed allegations and contested statements are not presented as independently established findings. Reporting updated through 22 October 2026; edition dated for distribution on 22 October.

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© 2026 Serbia Election Watch · holandija.dijaspora@gmail.com