Serbian authorities have been using sophisticated digital surveillance technology to access mobile phones used by journalists and activists, Amnesty International said on December 16.
In a new report titled A Digital Prison, Amnesty detailed how Serbian officials have been using a locally developed spyware system called NoviSpy and technology developed by the Israeli firm Cellebrite to "unlawfully" target reporters and members of civil society.
"Amnesty International uncovered forensic evidence showing how Serbian authorities used Cellebrite products to enable NoviSpy spyware infections of activists' phones," the report said.
The report includes testimonies from a journalist and an activist who alleged that the authorities, including the police the Security Intelligence Agency, installed spyware on their devices while in custody and during an interview.
SEE ALSO: Russian Woman Arrested In U.S. For Alleged Ties To Russian Intelligence"Our investigation reveals how Serbian authorities have deployed surveillance technology and digital repression tactics as instruments of wider state control and repression directed against civil society," said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for Europe.
"It also highlights how Cellebrite mobile forensic products -- used widely by police and intelligence services worldwide -- can pose an enormous risk to those advocating for human rights, the environment, and freedom of speech when used outside of strict legal control and oversight."
Amnesty said NoviSpy can steal sensitive personal data and turn on a phone's microphone and camera remotely. Celleberite tools unlock a target's phone to allow infection by spyware and enable the extraction of data.
SEE ALSO: Iranian-American Journalist Reza Valizadeh Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In IranIn response to Amnesty, Cellebrite said its products "are licensed strictly for lawful use, require a warrant or consent to help law enforcement agencies with legally sanctioned investigations after a crime has taken place."
"Over the past years, state repression and a hostile environment for free speech advocates in Serbia [have] escalated with each wave of anti-government protests. The authorities have engaged in sustained smear campaigns against NGOs, media, and journalists and have also subjected those involved in peaceful protest to arrests and judicial harassment," the report said.