A digital rights group says at least 14 people in Serbia’s civil society are targeted with advanced “mercenary spyware,” indicating the use of intrusive surveillance software aimed at specific individuals. The reports come from the SHARE Foundation, which said the targeting occurred ahead of local elections scheduled for March.
According to Reuters, the targets include students as well as members of political opposition or those associated with opposition activities. Japan Times similarly describes the incident as affecting more than a dozen people and frames it as revealing the way powerful spyware can be directed at students and political opponents in a sensitive electoral period.
Across the outlets, the core allegation is consistent: a cluster of individuals in Serbia is selected for surveillance using spyware commonly sold by private vendors, and the timing is linked to the lead-up to local elections. The coverage centers on the scope of targeting and the intended audience, but does not provide additional public details in the excerpts about who deployed the spyware or the specific technical method used.
