The Citizen Lab released an analysis on Wednesday showing that at least one of the Serbians was targeted with the NSO Group's Pegasus spyware. ^[1] The digital rights group Share Foundation stated that at least 14 people from across Serbian civil society were targeted with advanced spyware earlier this year. ^[2] Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking on 2026-09-05, accused the student-led protesters of intending to 'destroy the state' without providing evidence, and asserted that the protests are orchestrated by unspecified foreign powers, saying 'This evil is not coming from the inside, it is coming from the outside.' ^[3] The ruling party of Serbia, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), formally proposed on 2026-09-05 that President Aleksandar Vucic become prime minister if the party wins the early parliamentary election expected on 2026-10-25. ^[4] Apple notified people in 110 countries in August that they had probably been victims of mercenary spyware, leading to the discovery of the infections. ^[5] The targeted individuals included members of a Serbian student movement that has opposed the government of Aleksandar Vučić since 2024. ^[6] A group of Serbian university students stated in early September 2026 that they were among at least 14 people targeted with spyware during the year, an incident the Serbian Share Foundation civil society group described as the largest such case to date; Vucic's government has dismissed the claims. ^[7] The election is being held about two years after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station on 2024-11-01, which killed 16 people and triggered youth-led protests across Serbia. ^[8]