Amnesty International Claims "Serbia Illegally Monitors Journalists' and Activists' Mobile Phones"

International Amnesty has alleged that Serbian authorities installed spyware on the mobile phones of dozens of journalists and environmental and human rights activists to illegally monitor them.

According to major foreign media on the 16th (local time), International Amnesty stated in a report that Serbian authorities unlocked the phones of journalists and others using technology from the Israeli security company Cellebrite and then installed spyware.

The report was based on digital forensic evidence and testimonies from journalists and activists who suffered hacking attacks in recent months.

Slavisa Milanot, a Serbian investigative journalist, was briefly detained by police in February for a suspected drunk driving test. At the time, he submitted his Android phone turned off and was not asked for the password. However, after his release, he found that the phone, which had been left at the police station's reception, appeared to have been tampered with and that data was corrupted.

Analysis of the phone by International Amnesty's research institute confirmed that the phone was unlocked using Cellebrite's technology and spyware was installed.

International Amnesty claimed that the installed spyware operated by capturing sensitive personal data and copying contact information, which was then uploaded to a government-managed server.

A marketing official from Cellebrite said, "If these allegations are true, it could constitute a violation of our end-user license agreement," adding, "In such a case, we could suspend the use of our technology by Serbian authorities."

Serbia received Cellebrite's phone hacking equipment as part of a support program to meet the requirements for joining the European Union (EU). The program was funded by the Norwegian government and managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Maria Barth Eresia, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated, "The allegations mentioned in the report are very shocking and, if true, completely unacceptable," adding, "We will meet with Serbian authorities and UNOPS at the end of this month to obtain further information on this issue."