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Serbia illegally spying on political opponents and journalists, Amnesty says
People stopping traffic stand in silence to commemorate the 15 victims of a railway roof collapse six weeks ago, demand accountability for the tragedy, in Belgrade, Serbia, December 13, 2024

SERBIA’S secret service and police have been spying on journalists and opposition activists by installing spyware on their mobile phones, Amnesty International revealed today.

The watchdog’s report, backed by testimonies of those who claim their phones have been hacked in recent months, said spy software was used to unlock phones, capture covert screenshots and copy contact lists, which were then uploaded to a government-controlled server.

It said the Serbian police and the Security Information Agency (BIA) used the spyware to infect devices while their owners were detained or interviewed by police.

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