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

Vladan Djokic has played a prominent role in nearly two years of protests 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, whose right-wing Serbian Progressive Party has ruled for 14 years.

The Citizen Lab group carries out 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, which is also a digital rights group.

In September, digital rights groups reported that at least 14 activists and students had their phones hacked and infected with spyware, including Pegasus.

A separate analysis is underway to determine 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 linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

The project 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 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.