Freedom House: Serbia partly free, rating drops

„In Serbia, which has faced democratic backsliding under President Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party, police and intelligence services have reportedly deployed a variety of spyware products to surveil journalists, civil society actors, and protest organizers. For example, at least dozens and perhaps hundreds of personal devices have been targeted with a unique spyware tool referred to as NoviSpy, but the exact number is unknown given that authorities have installed it secretly during arrests, detentions, and police interviews. Such actions have contributed to Serbia’s overall score decline in Freedom in the World in recent years, as awareness of unchecked state surveillance motivates self-censorship among ordinary citizens,“ the report said.