The recent admission of defeat by Serbian leader **Aleksandar Vučić** in the prime ministerial race follows a period characterized by escalating digital repression, which has galvanized the opposition. Vučić, who has served as prime minister and president since 2014, has overseen an increasingly repressive tenure. Over the past two years, digital forensic researchers have unearthed compelling evidence pointing to spyware targeting or infections on devices belonging to dozens of Serbian opposition leaders, protesters, prosecutors, and journalists. ### Cellebrite and Systematic Surveillance **Amnesty International** researchers have reported that the Serbian regime has repeatedly utilized **Cellebrite** surveillance software. This technology was allegedly deployed to secretly extract data from opponents' devices – and in some cases, install spyware – often during what researchers describe as bogus interrogations and arrests. Despite claims from **Cellebrite** in February 2025 that it had severed ties with the Serbian government after **Amnesty International**'s findings, the surveillance technology was reportedly still being used in attacks against opponents weeks later. ### Pegasus Zero-Click Spyware in Play Adding to the concerns, researchers at the **Citizen Lab** recently alleged that the device of **University of Belgrade Rector Vladan Đokić** was infected with the powerful zero-click spyware known as **Pegasus** earlier this year. Đokić has been under intense pressure from the Vučić administration for resisting a government-led campaign to suppress student protesters. In March, Serbian authorities reportedly seized servers and computers from Đokić's Belgrade office, according to the **Citizen Lab**. ### Targeting Prosecutors and Journalists The digital repression extends to high-profile legal figures. **Rade Bajić**, a prosecutor investigating alleged illicit dealings between Vučić and **Donald Trump**'s son-in-law, **Jared Kushner**, was also targeted with **Pegasus**. Kushner had reportedly sought to acquire a protected historic site in Belgrade to construct a Trump Tower. Bajić received multiple **Apple** spyware threat notifications, indicating attempted snooping. He had been pursuing government officials suspected of creating forged documents to facilitate the deal, as reported by Serbia's **SHARE Foundation**. ### A Broader Pattern of Digital Repression According to **Andrijana Ristić**, a researcher with the **SHARE Foundation** who works closely with student protesters, this digital repression dates back to at least 2024. "At first it was civil society, journalists, and activists and then it moved to these protesters and a new election cycle," Ristić stated. The recent surge in confirmed spyware cases is likely due to the "stakes are so high for the government right now," Ristić added. So far this year, security experts have identified at least 15 individuals in Serbia whose devices have been targeted with mercenary spyware, according to the **SHARE Foundation**. In March 2025, **Amnesty International** also reported that two investigative journalists were targeted with **Pegasus**. A spokesperson for the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations.