Government Crackdown: Digital Spying as a Tool of Repression
In a troubling revelation, Amnesty International’s latest report exposes how Serbian authorities are weaponizing highly invasive digital surveillance to silence activists, journalists, and human rights defenders. The research uncovers the use of advanced spyware, mobile data extraction tools, and judicial harassment to intimidate and suppress civil society.
Spyware and Digital Forensics: The New Weapons Against Dissent
The report reveals that Serbian authorities are deploying at least three different spyware systems, including NSO Group’s Pegasus, Intellexa’s Predator, and a newly identified Serbian-made spyware called NoviSpy. NoviSpy, disclosed for the first time in this report, has been covertly installed on activists' and journalists’ phones—often during interrogations at police stations. Amnesty International’s forensic analysis uncovered that these infections were facilitated by Cellebrite’s digital forensic tools, which were used to unlock phones and install spyware without users' consent.
High-Profile Targets and a Chilling Effect
Among the documented cases:
- A protest organizer targeted with Pegasus spyware.
- A journalist detained under the guise of a routine traffic stop, only to have his phone hacked with NoviSpy.
- Multiple activists and civil society leaders forced to surrender their devices, which were later found to be infected with surveillance software.
The findings highlight a systematic effort to monitor and disrupt civil society in Serbia, causing activists to self-censor, disengage from public discourse, and fear for their personal safety.
International Implications and Human Rights Violations
This digital crackdown occurs against the backdrop of Serbia’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies, where protests are met with arrests, and critical voices are labeled as “foreign mercenaries” in state-controlled media. Amnesty International warns that such digital repression violates fundamental human rights, including privacy, freedom of expression, and association.
Who is Enabling This Surveillance?
The report raises serious questions about the role of foreign governments and companies in facilitating Serbia’s surveillance infrastructure. Norwegian-funded Cellebrite forensic tools, initially provided to Serbian authorities to combat crime, were misused against activists. Meanwhile, spyware developed by NSO Group and Intellexa continues to be used despite global scrutiny.
Call for Accountability
Amnesty International calls for:
- An immediate halt to the use of invasive spyware against civil society.
- A full investigation into unlawful digital surveillance by Serbian authorities.
- Stronger human rights safeguards in surveillance technology sales, particularly by companies like Cellebrite, NSO Group, and Intellexa.
🔍 For the full in-depth report, forensic evidence, and recommendations, read the complete Amnesty International report here.
