A new investigation by BIRN, conducted in cooperation with the SHARE Foundation, has revealed that Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) infected the phones of four farmers and environmental activists with the NoviSpy surveillance software during their detainment in BIA and police premises.
The findings expose a deepening pattern of state-sponsored digital surveillance, marking yet another alarming indicator of the authoritarian practices entrenched under President Aleksandar Vučić’s rule, where security structures are routinely weaponized against dissenting voices.
According to forensic analysis conducted with Amnesty International’s Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT), the targeted individuals’ phones showed multiple indicators of spyware infection — including unauthorized access to the microphone, camera, messages, and real-time location, as well as direct data transmission to BIA’s servers.
Farmers and Activists Targeted After Protests
The victims — Slobodan Vidojević, Zlatko Kokanović, Vladimir Višić, and Jovan Topalović — were all active in farmers’ unions or environmental movements and had participated in last year’s large-scale protests against Rio Tinto and in defense of farmers’ rights.
During police and BIA interrogations between July and October 2024, their phones were confiscated. It was during this time that NoviSpy, spyware developed by BIA itself, was secretly installed.
One of the victims, Slobodan Vidojević, recounted being forcibly taken into a van by unidentified men who beat him and refused to identify themselves. After his release, he noticed rapid battery drain, signal disruptions, and strange noises during calls. For over a year, his phone transmitted personal data to BIA without his knowledge.
A System of Intimidation
The investigation reveals a disturbing trend: the Serbian state appears willing to deploy intelligence tools not against criminals or extremists, but against ordinary citizens demanding clean air, clean land, or fair treatment.
Such behavior fits a broader pattern widely attributed to the Vučić government — centralizing control, suppressing protests, intimidating civil society, and eroding the country’s democratic framework. Critics argue that “security” institutions have been transformed into political instruments rather than bodies serving the public interest.
Legal Experts: Spyware Use Has No Basis in Law
Legal experts interviewed by BIRN stressed that the use of spyware in Serbia is not regulated by any legal framework, making such actions not only unethical but potentially unlawful.
Ana Toskić Cvetinović from the organization “Partneri Srbija” warned that the consequences are severe:
“This undermines privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of association — not only for those targeted, but for the broader activist community. The damage to democracy is enormous, especially given the perception that there is no control over BIA’s actions.”
The scandal further raises questions about President Vučić’s responsibility, given his government’s long track record of concentrating power, weakening institutional checks, and tolerating — if not directing — abuses by state agencies.
As pressure mounts domestically and internationally, Serbia’s leadership faces increasing scrutiny over its willingness to violate fundamental rights in order to suppress dissent.
