Representatives of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights participated in the OSCE conference “Safeguarding Civic Space in the Digital Age”, held in Vienna on 11–12 May and dedicated to new technologies, human rights, and civil society. As part of the conference, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organized a side event focused on digital threats to civil society in Serbia.
During the discussion, participants highlighted that digital surveillance in Serbia is no longer an isolated incident nor an issue affecting only activists and civil society organizations. In recent years, digital forensic tools, spyware, and the misuse of personal data have increasingly been used against students, journalists, farmers, and numerous citizens who criticize the government, participate in protests, conduct investigations, or raise awareness of social issues.
Particular attention was devoted to cases involving the use of digital forensic tools and spyware against journalists, activists, and protesters, which have been documented and reported by both domestic and international human rights organizations.
Today, the freedom of citizens in Serbia to speak out, protest, and organize must also be defended in the digital sphere.
Participants stressed that digital surveillance directly undermines the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. Particular concern was raised over the lack of effective institutional protection in cases of unlawful digital surveillance, despite documented evidence and legal actions that have been initiated. It was emphasized that institutional silence and the absence of accountability contribute to the normalization of digital surveillance as a tool of political control and further erode public trust in mechanisms designed to protect fundamental rights.
Representatives of civil society organizations called on OSCE conference participants to clearly recognize digital repression as a human rights violation, insist on an independent investigation into the procurement and use of surveillance technologies in Serbia, and ensure that the transfer and deployment of such technologies are subject to mandatory human rights due diligence.
It was emphasized that digital repression is not merely a technological issue, but a matter of human rights, democracy, and the security of all citizens. Serbia must not become a testing ground for authoritarian digital tools.
Dušan Pokuševski, Programme Director of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, spoke during the OSCE conference.
At the side event organized by the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights on 12 May, representatives of several Serbian civil society organizations also took part, including Partners Serbia, the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), and Civic Initiatives. They highlighted the growing use of technologies for monitoring and intimidating citizens in Serbia, as well as the serious human rights risks posed by digital forensic tools, spyware, and the misuse of personal data.
