The Share Foundation said it has evidence of surveillance and wiretapping of journalists and activists, a case previously highlighted in an Amnesty International report, and plans to submit this evidence to various relevant authorities.
Filip Milosevic from the Foundation explained that forensic analysis of the infected journalists’ and activists’ devices revealed the use of Israeli software Cellebrite to forcibly unlock the phones and extract data.
“After unlocking, spy software called NoviSpy was installed on the phones. We identified two applications within the software, and further analysis revealed, both in the code and the network traffic, that the data from the phone was being transmitted via the internet to servers, that is, to computers previously connected to the Security Information Agency (BIA),” Milosevic told N1.
He said the collected evidence will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime as part of a criminal complaint against unidentified individuals.
Spokespeople for 10 civil society organizations said that they filed criminal charges with the High-Tech Crime Prosecution against unidentified agents of the Security Information Agency (BIA) and Serbian Police for installing spyware and unlocking private phones owned by NGO activists and journalists.
The Foundation also plans to contact the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, who should investigate both the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the BIA regarding unauthorized data processing. This investigation would cover not only the individuals whose phones were seized but also others whose personal information was found on those devices, Milosevic explained.
Emphasizing that this is a case of completely indiscriminate surveillance, Milosevic said the Foundation will also forward the evidence to the Ombudsman, to investigate the actions of the police and the BIA, “as all of this is illegal.”
“Finally, we will approach international institutions, including the Council of Europe and its Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the United Nations,” said Milosevic.
