Amnesty International has revealed that Serbian authorities illegally used advanced spyware and digital tools to hack into the phones of journalists and activists, describing it as part of a “digital crackdown” targeting civil society.

The organization reported on Monday that police and intelligence agencies in Serbia utilized tools developed by the Israeli company “Cellebrite,” along with a local spyware program known as “Novi Spy,” to monitor phone screens, copy contact lists, and transfer data to a government-controlled server.

In response, the Serbian Intelligence Agency “BIA” denied the allegations, calling them “illogical.”