World News
Serbian civil society members targeted in major spyware surveillance campaign, researchers report
Forensic analysis confirmed the use of Pegasus spyware against activists and students, while Serbian officials deny involvement.
The short version
- At least 14 individuals in Serbian civil society, including student activists, were targeted with advanced mercenary spyware earlier this year.
- A forensic analysis by The Citizen Lab confirmed that NSO Group's Pegasus software was used against at least one target.
- The Serbian government, through Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabić, denied the allegations of surveillance against students.
- The specific entity responsible for deploying the spyware remains unconfirmed ahead of upcoming snap elections.
Key facts
- The digital rights group Share Foundation identified at least 14 Serbian civil society members targeted by spyware, describing it as the largest documented surveillance wave in the country.[The Guardian]
- The surveillance was uncovered after Apple distributed threat warnings in August to potential mercenary spyware victims across 110 countries.[The Guardian]
- A forensic examination by The Citizen Lab confirmed that at least one Serbian individual was targeted using NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.[The Guardian]
- Targeted individuals included participants in a prominent student protest movement that organized following a fatal train station collapse in winter 2024.[The Guardian]
- Serbian Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabić explicitly rejected the claims, stating she did not believe students were being surveilled.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- There is no direct evidence confirming which government or entity deployed the spyware against the Serbian activists.[The Guardian]
- It is not known whether the Pegasus attack was executed through WhatsApp, which NSO Group is barred by a U.S. court from targeting.[The Guardian]