A digital rights group said on Monday that spyware from an Israeli company was used against the rector of Belgrade University.

Vladan Djokic has played a big role in nearly two years of protests.

The protests are against Serbia's populist leader, Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia holds a tense election this weekend.

It is seen as a showdown between the student protest movement and Vucic.

His right-wing Serbian Progressive Party has ruled for 14 years.

The Citizen Lab group does forensic analyses of spyware attacks.

It said it could confirm with "high confidence" that Djokic's phone was infected with NSO Group's Pegasus spyware in 2026.

It worked with the Serbia-based SHARE Foundation, also a digital rights group.

In September, digital rights groups reported that at least 14 activists and students had their phones hacked.

Their phones were infected with spyware, including Pegasus.

A separate analysis is underway.

It will show whether the phone of associate prosecutor Rade Bajic was also hacked.

Bajic received an Apple Threat Notification on his phone in August.

He had worked on alleged corruption around a real estate project.

The project was linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

It was later canceled.

Djokic said on Instagram that the hacking was a "serious attack on my privacy, security and the integrity of the post of rector."

He called it another attempt at intimidation.

He said it was meant to prevent any critical position and public action.

Serbian authorities had no immediate comment.

They have denied being behind such attacks, which were first reported in 2024.