The Serbian government is significantly expanding its advanced Chinese-made surveillance system despite public protests and negative reactions to its use, according to documents obtained by Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL).
The documents obtained by RFE/RL contain contracts with Chinese technology giant Huawei.
They document extensive purchases of software and services necessary for the expansion of the “Safe City” project. Huawei had offered the project in 2017 as part of a strategic agreement with the Serbian Ministry of the Interior.
The program aims to provide facial and license plate recognition and other surveillance functions integrated into a unified citywide system.
Little is known about the scope, content, and cost of the surveillance projects with Huawei. In recent years, Serbian authorities have tried to keep the “Safe City” out of the public eye in the face of international criticism, legal challenges, and protests, particularly against the use of biometric facial recognition.
The issue is particularly controversial because its use is not required by law. Serbian authorities say that facial recognition software is not yet ready for use as part of the Safe City project. They have made several attempts to legalize biometric surveillance, but have backed down after strong public pressure.
Currently, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš—Serbia’s largest cities—are implementing the project in collaboration with Huawei. According to documents available to RFE/RL, the government is continuing to expand the system in secret.
A contract dated March 2024 contains a confidential order for equipment and services to expand the eLTE system – a closed network used only by police and surveillance devices, which serves as the basis for connecting cameras and facial recognition software to police terminals and command centers.
The contract covers the expansion of the system using the eLTE network, including GIS software for resource access, which improves the ability to view camera footage at specific locations in real time. Experts who were able to view the documents told RFE/RL that the 35 units purchased from Huawei could support up to 3,500 additional cameras on the eLTE network.
“They have deliberately acquired capacity for 3,500 cameras,” said Conor Healy, head of government research at surveillance research firm IPVM. “That suggests they intend to install that many cameras.”
The Ministry of the Interior and Huawei did not respond to RFE/RL’s requests for comment.
Why is the expansion of the “Safe City” important?
This contract and other documents are part of more than 1.7 million files that were published on the dark web in June 2025, following a cyberattack on the Serbian IT company Informatika AD, which won important government tenders, including from the Ministry of the Interior.
These include more than 200 procurement documents that Informatika AD carried out for the Ministry of the Interior, including a contract from Huawei for the expansion of the eLTE system.
AD Informatika told RFE/RL that it had been the target of a cyberattack, but did not respond to questions about procurement for the Ministry of the Interior. When the pilot project was launched in Belgrade, a city with a population of 1.1 million, in 2017, it involved the installation of 1,000 cameras equipped with artificial intelligence-based facial recognition software.
The government has not disclosed the total number of cameras installed.
It is unclear whether the new capacity of 3,500 cameras will be deployed only in Belgrade or also in other cities. However, it represents a significant expansion of the country’s surveillance capabilities.
“If deployed in Belgrade, the camera density will be rarely matched outside of China,” Healy said.
Proponents of surveillance projects such as Huawei’s “Safe City” argue that they offer significant benefits by automating urban functions and building on systems already in use in democratic countries. Serbian authorities have also stated that the technology is needed to curb crime and combat terrorism.
Critics, however, warn that the technology can be misused to consolidate authoritarian power and is often exported from China without transparency or accountability.
In Serbia, human rights and privacy activists see the use of Chinese surveillance equipment to track and intimidate protesters and political opponents as a risk.
A 2022 investigation by RFE/RL found that Serbian officials have already used Chinese technology to track activists, raising fears of even greater abuse.
National and international organizations, including the Serbian Commissioner for Information of Public Interest and the European Parliament, continue to warn against expanding surveillance capabilities without a clear legal framework for processing biometric data.
Huawei stated in its comments that it is merely a manufacturer and seller, and that responsibility for use lies with the user.
Document traces
RFE/RL verified the authenticity of documents using public databases and visible elements such as signatures and seals.
The contract for the eLTE expansion includes new hardware and software, from base station tracking and voice call management to improved video surveillance and analysis.
The contract also includes warranties and on-site installation and maintenance by Huawei-trained technicians.
The software and services are being offered by Huawei at a significant discount.
The package was offered at a significant discount. From over $3 million (€2.6 million), the cost dropped to $1.2 million (€1 million) after a one-time discount of 57 percent.
Part of the package – GIS software to support up to 3,500 cameras – received a 92 percent discount, reducing the price from US$1.1 million to just US$71,371 before tax.
It is not known why Huawei granted such a high discount.
Chinese companies operating internationally are known for offering high discounts in order to win contracts. However, the savings achieved in this case are considerable, and it remains unclear whether Huawei faced competition from other companies when awarding the project in Serbia.
“The most likely explanation, in my opinion, is that Huawei expects a longer-term relationship with the Serbian government,” Healy said.
“Sometimes Huawei is not concerned with money, but rather with the relationship between Serbia and China.”
Serbia’s ties to China
Although Huawei is a private company, it has been designated a “national champion” for telecommunications equipment development by the Chinese Communist Party and sanctioned by the US for ties to the Chinese military and espionage risks.
Many European countries, such as Australia and Canada, have imposed restrictions on the use of Huawei equipment for national security reasons.
However, as part of its rapprochement with Beijing over the past decade, Serbia has expanded its cooperation with Huawei and other Chinese companies through investment, infrastructure projects, and a growing presence of Chinese firms.
Chinese-style surveillance has become one of the most visible signs of Chinese influence in Serbia. A 2023 RFE/RL investigation found that 42 Serbian municipalities had purchased Chinese cameras and software, some with facial recognition capabilities.
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