[REVISION HISTORY]

Spyware surveillance allegations in Serbia

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-18 14:46 UTC → 2026-09-27 23:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Forensic investigations by the SHARE Foundation, Citizen Lab, and Amnesty International have documented a surveillance campaign in Serbia targeting at least 14 individuals, including student activists, civil society members, opposition politicians, and journalists. Technical analysis confirmed the use of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware via a zero-click iMessage exploit, alongside software similar to the domestic tool NoviSpy. These attacks reportedly occurred around the period of the March 2026 local elections. Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto has since confirmed that the phone of a student movement participant was infected with Pegasus spyware. At least 14 individuals from the student movement, civil society, and the political opposition received warnings from Apple that they were likely targets of this mercenary spyware. Opposition figures, such as MP Radomir Lazović, claim they were targeted while communicating with international officials. In response to these findings, the European Union stated that such illegal access to citizens' data would be ‘unacceptable’ if confirmed. Some European Parliament members have also urged the European Commission to freeze EU funding to Serbia and have called for the cancellation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's planned visit to the country. Serbian government officials, including President Aleksandar Vučić and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, have categorically denied the allegations, describing them as baseless or ‘trivial sensationalism.’ President Vučić and the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) have dismissed the claims as ‘stupid and senseless.’ ~~Adding to these concerns,~~ Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty and UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero have warned of a “sharp decline” in human rights protections in Serbia. They highlighted a shrinking space for civic action, the harassment of journalists, and the stigmatization of civil society organizations as “traitors” or “foreign agents.” These officials also noted Serbia, noting that reports of spyware ~~being used against activists and journalists~~ use represent significant threats to privacy and security.

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