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Bulajić: Spyware shows state resources and money were used directly against ordinary citizens
🇷🇸 Serbia /Elections & Politics

Bulajić: Spyware shows state resources and money were used directly against ordinary citizens

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Ongoing story
  • Nova.rs journalist Jelena Bulajić criticized allegations that spyware monitored at least 14 students involved in blockades.
  • She said Serbian institutions had become “captured” and questioned whether prosecutors would act on the claims.
  • Bulajić also linked the allegations to President Aleksandar Vučić’s political confidence and concern over the student campaign “Student in Every Village.”

Nova.rs journalist Jelena Bulajić described allegations that spyware monitored at least 14 students as “the direct use of state resources and state money against ordinary citizens.” She made the comments while discussing a news conference held by students involved in blockades.

the direct use of state resources and state money against ordinary citizens

— Jelena BulajićShe characterized allegations that spyware monitored students involved in blockades.

Bulajić said the software may have been bought with taxes paid by the students and their parents. “And why was it bought? To spy on their children,” she asked during an appearance on N1’s Dan uživo program.

She said Serbia’s institutions were “captured” and no longer protected ordinary citizens. Instead, she argued, they were being used against them. Bulajić said most people who followed the allegations were not surprised, but that the conference marked the first time a serious overview had been presented of who had the software and how it had been obtained.

And why was it bought? To spy on their children

— Jelena BulajićShe questioned the alleged use of taxpayers’ money to acquire the spyware.

Bulajić said she was not surprised by the possibility that the state had spied on people. She also expressed doubt that prosecutors would respond, citing what she described as extensive evidence of corruption, clear legal violations and human rights abuses that prosecutors often failed to pursue meaningfully. She said it was important to discuss cases involving people who were unlawfully detained or beaten in the street, and to present evidence publicly.

captured

— Jelena BulajićShe described Serbia’s institutions and said they were being used against ordinary citizens rather than protecting them.

Discussing Vučić’s decision to postpone an SNS rally in Novi Sad, Bulajić called it a “smart” move after events in Užice. She said the allegations suggested that Vučić was less confident than ever that he could win, despite the slogan “Serbia Is Winning” and his loyalist supporters. She argued that the reported use of spyware during local elections showed concern even in areas where the Serbian Progressive Party had been strong. Bulajić said the student campaign “Student in Every Village” might worry him more than a large rally because students were continually visiting villages and small towns to speak with residents.

Student in Every Village

— Jelena BulajićShe identified the student campaign as a possible source of concern for President Aleksandar Vučić.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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