Amnesty International announced today that institutions in Serbia use software to unlock mobile phones, download content from them, take screenshots, and turn on cameras and microphones.

The list of activists and journalists on whose devices such software was used indicates the frequency of this worrisome practice, which confirms the long-standing suspicion that activists and journalists are subject to uncontrolled state surveillance, with the aim of intimidating and stifling freedom of expression and association in our society.

Any attack on citizens' privacy is an attempt to limit their freedom. Using such software by the police and the Security Information Agency is a clear violation of the law. Illegal viewing and downloading content from the phone are criminal offenses under Art. 300 of the Criminal Code—creating and introducing computer viruses—and any illegal surveillance, in whatever format it is undertaken, is a flagrant violation of the right to privacy and protection of citizens' personal data.

Based on the findings of the Amnesty International report, it is necessary to implement all available control and investigation procedures and determine the extent of this illegal practice. The National Assembly, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Internal Control of the Ministry of the Interior, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Protection of Personal Data, the Protector of Citizens, and the State Audit Institution, by applying measures within their jurisdiction, should determine the facts related to the surveillance of activists and journalists and initiate appropriate procedures for determining liability for violations of the law.