Serbia - December 2024

Report reveals authorities' use of spyware against journalists and activists

On 16 December, Amnesty International reported that Serbian authorities used advanced spyware alongside other digital tools to hack the phones of activists and journalists. The report documented the use of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, alongside NoviSpy spyware system, and the misuse of Cellebrite’s UFED mobile forensics tools, which Serbia received in 2019 as part of its EU integration efforts. Serbia's intelligence agency (BIA) rejected the claims and said it works “in accordance with the laws". Legal experts said that Serbian law provides no legal basis for the BIA's use of spyware. Journalists and civil society groups, which have faced ongoing crackdowns, described this as an attack on civil society, press freedom, privacy, freedom of expression, and association. Amnesty International reported spyware use in the country in 2023, without confirming government involvement. Serbia ranked among Europe's top countries for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation in 2023.

UPDATE: On 25 February 2025, Cellebrite UFED announced that it would stop providing its digital forensic products to the relevant customers in Serbia in response to Amnesty International’s December 2024 report.

Sources: Amnesty International (1), Amnesty International (2), Balkan Insight (1), Balkan Insight (2), Security Information Agency, Article 19, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), International IDEA (3)