Rector Djokic Targeted With Pegasus, SHARE Says

SHARE Foundation announced on October 19, 2026 that University of Belgrade rector Vladan Djokic and Rade Bajic, a senior associate at the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, were targeted with advanced spyware. According to the foundation, forensic analysis found that Djokic’s phone was infected with Pegasus earlier this year, and Citizen Lab confirmed the finding in cooperation with SHARE. The rector demanded an independent investigation the same day.

What was found in the case of the University of Belgrade rector?

Pegasus is spyware made by the Israeli company NSO Group. In Djokic’s case, SHARE says, it was a so-called “0-click” attack, an infection that happens without any action by the user: no link or attachment has to be opened. The exact date of the infection has not been released, only that it took place in 2026.

Djokic announced the finding through the official Instagram account of the University of Belgrade. He wrote that the discovery points to an attack on his office, and in a statement to the media he said what, in his view, lies behind it:

“The Pegasus spyware on my phone is yet another attempt at intimidation, aimed at preventing any critical stance and public engagement. I demand that the competent authorities carry out an independent, thorough and transparent investigation without delay, establish who installed and used the spyware, and make the results of the investigation public”

In the same post the rector describes what he considers the violation: “This discovery points to a serious attack on my privacy, security and the integrity of the office of rector.” He added that those responsible must be identified and prosecuted under the law, and that this is not an attack on him alone but a threat to the privacy of the data, contacts and communications of everyone connected to him.

How does Bajic’s case differ from the rector’s?

According to SHARE, Bajic worked on the “General Staff” case, in which prosecutors raised the question of criminal responsibility of state officials. In August 2026 he received an official notification from Apple saying that, with a high degree of confidence, he had been targeted by so-called mercenary spyware.

Unlike the rector’s case, where the name of the program is given, the published allegations about Bajic do not say which software was involved. All that is known is that the warning came from the phone maker.

What pattern does SHARE describe?

The foundation recalls that on September 2 it reported that at least 14 people in Serbia had been targeted with various types of advanced spyware in early 2026. They included students, activists, one member of parliament and one local opposition councillor. The two new cases, according to SHARE, extend that circle to representatives of universities and the prosecution service.

The timeline the foundation presents looks like this:

• in late 2024, the targeting of journalists, activists and members of civil society was uncovered
• during 2025, farmers were targeted
• during 2026, students, activists and opposition politicians were targeted

SHARE also says that impunity and the lack of effective action on criminal complaints already filed create conditions for the practice to continue. The foundation sums up the consequences of surveillance in a single sentence: “Surveillance of judicial employees and university representatives directly endangers the independence of institutions”.

What does Djokic tell the public and the academic community?

The rector called on the public, the academic community and international organizations to insist on full accountability from the competent authorities. He described his view of the university’s role this way:

“The university must remain a space of free thought, critical dialogue and institutional autonomy.”

Djokic’s post suggests that, in his assessment, any attempt to surveil or intimidate university representatives concerns the entire academic community, not only the person on whose phone the software was found.

Six days before the election

The announcement comes six days before the parliamentary election scheduled for October 25. SHARE warns that during an election period, protecting freedom of expression, political activity and privacy is of key importance, and that without an effective investigation and a finding of responsibility there is a serious risk that the practice of digital repression will continue and spread.

Who installed the software is not stated in the published allegations, and that is the very question the rector wants the investigation to answer. The reaction of the competent authorities to the finding was not known at the time of publication.