Slovak Intelligence Service Faces Record Rate of Wiretap Request Rejections by Judges

Slovakia's domestic intelligence agency is facing an unprecedented wave of rejections from judges overseeing its surveillance requests, raising questions about the quality and legal basis of its applications. Judges at the Bratislava Regional Court, which is responsible for reviewing and approving wiretapping requests submitted by the Slovak Information Service (SIS) — the country's primary civilian intelligence agency — are turning down applications at a record rate. A judge from the Bratislava Regional Court has publicly commented on the issue, suggesting the problem likely lies in how the SIS is constructing and justifying its requests. Under Slovak law, the intelligence service must obtain judicial approval before conducting electronic surveillance, a safeguard designed to protect civil liberties and prevent abuse of state surveillance powers. The high rejection rate could signal either stricter judicial scrutiny of intelligence activities or systematic shortcomings in how SIS prepares its legal filings. The development is significant given the politically sensitive role SIS plays in Slovakia, where concerns about the independence and oversight of security services have been a recurring issue in public debate.