Serbian Journalists Targeted with Pegasus Spyware Amid Press Freedom Concerns

In February 2025, two investigative journalists from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Serbia were targeted with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, according to a forensic investigation by Amnesty International’s Security Lab. The journalists, Jelena Veljković and a colleague referred to as “Bogdana” for privacy reasons, received suspicious messages via the Viber messaging app on February 14. These messages contained links to a fake news article, which, if clicked, would have installed the spyware on their devices. The messages originated from a Serbian number registered with the state-owned operator Telekom Srbija.

Amnesty International’s analysis confirmed that the links were associated with Pegasus spyware. This incident marks the third time in two years that Amnesty has documented the use of Pegasus against Serbian civil society actors.

At the time of the attempted spyware attack, the journalists were investigating state-linked corruption cases and had recently met with sources close to the government. This context raises concerns about the misuse of surveillance technologies to intimidate or silence journalists.

The use of Pegasus spyware against journalists in Serbia underscores the broader challenges to press freedom in the country. Amnesty International has called for a halt to the use of such invasive surveillance tools against civil society and for greater protections for journalists.

The NSO Group, the Israeli company behind Pegasus, has stated that its products are intended for use against serious crime and terrorism. However, the repeated targeting of journalists and activists in Serbia suggests a pattern of abuse that undermines these stated purposes.

This incident highlights the urgent need for stronger safeguards to protect journalists and ensure that surveillance technologies are not misused to stifle independent reporting and freedom of expression.