Serbians Linked to Protest Movement Allegedly Hit by Spyware Attacks

Rector Vladan Djokic addresses protesters from the balcony of the University of Belgrade Rectorate. Photo: Screenshot/Instagram/Gavrilo Andric. There is high likelihood that the rector of the University of Belgrade, Vladan Djokic, and a senior prosecutorial associate at Serbia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime, Rade Bajic, were targeted by spyware earlier this year, digital rights investigators from the NGO SHARE Foundation and The Citizen Lab said on Monday. Both Djokic and Bajic have been supporters of the student-led movement that has been organising anti-government protests for almost two years. Bajic also investigated official corruption in a failed project in Belgrade linked to the Affinity Partners investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. SHARE Foundation and The Citizen Lab said that they concluded that Djokic was hacked with Pegasus spyware, created by Israeli NSO Group. “The infection leveraged a zero-click exploit. No action, such as a click or opening a file was necessary for infection. Our investigation into this case is ongoing,” The Citizen Lab said regarding Djokic’s case. The Citizen Lab is a research unit affiliated with the University of Toronto that investigates “novel threats to democracy, human rights, and global security in the digital ecosystem.” In August 2026, Bajic received an Apple Threat Notification. “These notifications are high-confidence indicators of targeting with mercenary spyware such as Pegasus,” The Citizen Lab said SHARE Foundation said that “surveillance of judicial staff and university officials directly threatens the independence of institutions and their ability to work free from pressure”. “In the justice system, it can undermine the independence of courts and prosecutors and discourage action in the public interest. At universities, it erodes academic autonomy and freedom of expression,” the organisation said. “When the institutions meant to protect the public interest become targets of surveillance, it is not just individuals who pay the price, but society as a whole.” It added that these trends are especially concerning ahead of the October 25 parliamentary elections, “when protecting freedom of expression, political activity, and privacy is critical”. Djokic has been a prominent supporter of the student-led movement and has often been targeted for criticism by pro-government tabloids and officials for months. In March this year, officers from the Anti-Corruption Department of the Criminal Police Directorate also raided the Rectorate at Belgrade University as part of a probe into a student’s unexplained death, a move some said was intended to put pressure on Djokic. As well as probing official corruption allegations related to the Kushner project in Belgrade, Bajic spoke publicly about political interference in the controversial scheme on the site of the old Yugoslav Army headquarters. In connection with the project, Serbian Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic was charged with illegally removing the cultural heritage status of the headquarters in order to pave the way for its demolition and redevelopment. His trial is ongoing. Last month, citing findings from SHARE Foundation and The Citizen Lab, the Student Blockade protest movement announced that 14 people – members of the student movement, opposition politicians and activists – had been targeted with advanced spyware. Lawyers representing one of the targeted student activists, Jelena Kontic, filed a criminal complaint on October 6 with the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime over the installation of Pegasus spyware on her phone, allegedly by Serbian security forces. The latest allegations come six days before the parliamentary elections in Serbia, with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party facing a strong challenge from the opposition Student List, which grew out of the protest movement.