Serbian prosecutor in Belgrade development case received spyware warning
Rade Bajić received an Apple threat notification in August and a reminder later that month. Citizen Lab assesses that his iPhone was likely targeted with mercenary spyware.
Serbian prosecutor Rade Bajić, who worked on a corruption case involving a proposed Trump-branded development in Belgrade, received an Apple warning in August that his iPhone had been targeted by mercenary spyware, the Guardian reported on October 20, 2026. Citizen Lab assesses that the warning indicates likely targeting. The finding raises a security concern around the case concerning the removal of protected status from the city’s General Staff building.
What Apple’s warning indicates
Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto, says Bajić received an Apple Threat Notification on August 13, 2026, and a reminder on August 27. It considers receipt of such a notification a high-confidence indicator that a device was likely targeted with mercenary spyware, such as Pegasus. The dates identify when the messages arrived; Citizen Lab has not established when the suspected targeting occurred.
Citizen Lab says its forensic analysis of material collected from Bajić’s phone is ongoing. Its assessment of likely targeting does not establish that spyware infected his device. The Guardian reported that analysts had not identified who was behind the apparent attempt.
Bajić told the Guardian: ‘In my opinion, my involvement in this case was the sole reason for this unlawful spyware attack.’ His view of the motive has not been established by the forensic findings. He had worked on the investigation in Serbia’s organised-crime prosecution unit and said he was removed from the case without explanation shortly before an indictment was published.
The General Staff case and Kushner’s cancelled project
The investigation concerned the removal of protected status from Belgrade’s General Staff building, where Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had led plans for a development. The Guardian reported that prosecutors indicted senior Serbian officials on allegations that they abused their office to strip the building of its protection. The charges are allegations; the officials have not been convicted in the account reported by the Guardian.
Kushner called off the development after the charges became public, according to the Guardian. Representatives of Trump and Kushner denied involvement in the Serbian authorities’ decision to remove the building’s protected status. They also denied engaging in ‘pay to play’ arrangements, the Guardian reported.
Other spyware cases documented in Serbia
Citizen Lab has separately investigated spyware attacks involving Serbia’s protest movement, activists and opposition figures. It says investigations conducted with the SHARE foundation and Amnesty International’s Security Lab identified at least 14 people targeted with advanced spyware in 2026. Citizen Lab also reported that University of Belgrade rector Vladan Đokić’s device was infected with Pegasus. That finding concerns Đokić; Citizen Lab’s examination of Bajić’s device remains in progress.
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Sources and context
- Serbian prosecutor who investigated Belgrade Trump tower project ‘targeted with spyware’The Guardian
- Targeting Democracy: Pegasus and Mercenary Spyware Attacks on Serbian Pro-Democracy FiguresThe Citizen Lab, University of Toronto
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.