Amnesty International has released a report revealing that the Serbian government, through the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) and the police, has illegally spied on the mobile phones of activists, members of non-governmental organizations, and independent journalists. One of those targeted is Slavisa Milanov, a journalist from Dimitrovgrad, who shared with N1 that police installed spyware on his phone at the Pirot police station, despite lacking a prosecutor’s order to examine his device or having his password. “I will hold the state responsible for anything that happens to me or to those around me,” Milanov emphasized.
“On February 21, my colleague Petar Videnov and I traveled to (the city of) Pirot. At the entrance, we were stopped by traffic police. At one point, a police officer informed me that I needed to go to the Pirot police station for a psychoactive substances test. I complied without argument. Upon entering the police station, they took my phone, I turned it off, and left all my personal belongings at the reception,” Milanov recounted.
He said that the police confirmed he tested negative for alcohol and psychoactive substances but continued to detain him at the station. “At some point, I began to feel suspicious as I overheard parts of their conversations. I inquired why I was being held since I had tested negative, and they had initially said the procedure would take 30 minutes. After ten minutes, police officers in civilian clothes came and took me to another police station in Pirot for some pre-investigation procedure,” Milanov explained.
At the second station, he reported being asked “some informal questions.” “They handed me a summons for questioning regarding a criminal act involving certain individuals who happened to be crossing the border the same day I did. I denied knowing them or having them in my car and insisted they review the border crossing cameras,” said Milanov, adding that that his car was searched, and that the entire process seemed being unnecessarily drawn out.
“When my phone was returned and I turned it on, I noticed that my mobile data and Wi-Fi, which I usually leave on, had been turned off. In the afternoon, I installed an application that showed activity on my phone during the period of my detention, and I took action, I contacted Amnesty,” he explained.
Milanov said his suspicions were confirmed: spyware had indeed been installed on his phone while he was detained. “This is a new spyware developed by one of our institutions – either the BIA or the police. There was no prosecutor’s order, nor did I provide my password. In my opinion, they were just buying time to enable that,” he said.
He added that this incident is just the tip of the iceberg, as the portal he works for has faced harassment, pressure, and smear campaigns. “Most of our articles focus on local news and minority rights. However, part of our team also investigates issues of corruption and the misuse of public funds,” he said.
Milanov noted that tensions with local politicians began when his team signed a declaration supporting media freedom. “Are we criminals that this software is being used against us?” he questioned, emphasizing the impact this situation has had on his work, his family, and his colleagues.
“Safety is at stake. Whatever happens to me or anyone close to me, I will hold the state responsible for it,” Milanov said. He confirmed that he feels unsafe and that legal action has been initiated, but that so far, there has been no progress.
Source: N1