Amnesty International has revealed that Serbian authorities used Pegasus spyware against two investigative journalists from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in February 2025. The journalists, known for their work on state-sponsored corruption, were targeted after receiving a suspicious Viber message on February 14. The message contained a link that Amnesty’s Security Lab concluded was an attempt to install the spyware on their devices.
The BIRN journalists, who have been facing increasing threats and lawsuits from senior government officials due to their reporting on organized crime, were investigating foreign investments and state-linked corruption at the time. Amnesty’s findings suggest the spyware attack was carried out on behalf of the Serbian government.
This marks the third such incident in two years where Serbian authorities are accused of using invasive surveillance tools against journalists. Rodoljub Sabic, former privacy commissioner of Serbia, condemned the practice, stating that it undermines the rule of law and violates citizens’ constitutional rights. He further emphasized the risks to media freedom, particularly the confidentiality of journalistic sources.
Pegasus spyware, which can secretly monitor text messages, record phone conversations, and track locations, has been used globally to target journalists and human rights activists. In response to these findings, the NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, claimed its products are intended solely for investigating terrorism and crime.
The report underscores the growing concern over the use of surveillance technology by governments to suppress free speech, with similar accusations against other EU nations, including Hungary and Poland. Civil rights organizations are urging the European Union to take action against such threats to fundamental rights.
This alarming development highlights the increasing dangers faced by journalists in countries where surveillance tools are weaponized to silence investigative reporting and undermine press freedom.
