Serbian Prosecutor in Trump Belgrade Tower Inquiry Targeted by Spyware
Forensic researchers say a Serbian prosecutor who investigated a scrapped Trump real estate development in Belgrade was targeted with advanced mercenary spyware.
At a glance
- Prosecutor Rade Bajić received an Apple warning that his iPhone was targeted by mercenary spyware such as Pegasus.
- Bajić was part of an organised-crime unit investigating how Belgrade's historic General Staff building was cleared for a Trump project.
- Jared Kushner cancelled the $500m development after Serbian officials were indicted, and Trump representatives deny any wrongdoing.
A Serbian organised-crime prosecutor who investigated alleged government misconduct linked to a planned Trump development in Belgrade was targeted with advanced mercenary spyware, digital forensics researchers have revealed.
Rade Bajić, a member of the specialised prosecution unit examining the project, received a notification from Apple in August warning that his iPhone had experienced a targeted mercenary attack. Subsequent analysis by Citizen Lab, an independent digital forensics laboratory, confirmed that the alert represents a high-confidence indicator that his device was targeted with sophisticated surveillance software such as Pegasus.
While Citizen Lab has not definitively identified the perpetrator behind the attack, Bajić said he believes his role in the criminal investigation into the Belgrade tower scheme was the sole motivation for the hacking attempt. Serbian authorities have faced previous scrutiny from researchers and local rights groups for using surveillance software against anti-corruption activists and political opponents.
The Belgrade Real Estate Controversy
The criminal inquiry centres on decisions made by senior government officials to strip historic legal protections from the General Staff building, a prominent landmark in Belgrade, to pave the way for a $500m luxury hotel and tower complex. The commercial development was led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former US President Donald Trump.
Last year, prosecutors filed an indictment against top officials in the government of Aleksandar Vučić, alleging they unlawfully abused their authority to enable the transaction. Following the formal charges, Kushner cancelled the development project. Representatives for the Trump family and Kushner have denied participating in any illicit or pay-to-play arrangements, stating they played no role in modifying the historical monument's protected status.
Official Backlash and Spyware Concerns
Vučić, who recently resigned as president to seek the prime minister's office in snap elections scheduled for 25 October, strongly denounced the prosecutors and promised retaliation after the indictments were filed. Bajić stated that he was removed from the case without explanation shortly before the charges became public.
The findings add to growing international concerns about the deployment of commercial cyber weapons against legal officials and civil society. Israeli firm NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, has previously faced criticism after forensic analyses linked its zero-click spyware to surveillance operations targeting journalists and activists globally.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Why was prosecutor Rade Bajić targeted with spyware?
- Bajić stated he believes his device was attacked solely because of his role in investigating government officials who cleared the way for a Trump tower project in Belgrade.
- What was the Trump development project in Belgrade?
- The planned $500m hotel and tower development, led by Jared Kushner, was cancelled after prosecutors indicted Serbian officials for illegally removing protected heritage status from the site.
- Who carried out the spyware attack?
- Forensic laboratory Citizen Lab confirmed high-confidence indicators of mercenary spyware targeting Bajić's phone, though it has not formally determined who ordered the attack.
