Spanish Judge Reopens Probe into Alleged Pegasus Spyware Surveillance of Prime Minister

A Spanish judge has reopened an investigation into the suspected use of the Pegasus spyware to target the cellphone of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The decision comes after receiving a request to collaborate with a similar probe in France, where President Emmanuel Macron and other government officials were allegedly targeted by the spyware.

The investigation in Spain was initially launched in 2022 when the government revealed that Pegasus software, developed by the Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group, was used to spy on Sánchez and three of his ministers. The resulting political crisis led to the resignation of the country's spy chief. However, the High Court shelved the case last year due to a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities.

Judge José Luis Calama has now decided to reopen the probe after receiving new information from French judicial authorities investigating the use of Pegasus to spy on phones belonging to various figures, including government members and politicians. The judge believes this new information, combined with the results of analyses by Spain's National Cryptologic Centre, may help determine the authorship of the infections of the Spanish government members' phones.

Why this matters: The reopening of the investigation in Spain comes as part of a wider scrutiny of the use of Pegasus spyware, which has raised concerns about surveillance and privacy violations. The powerful spyware can be used to extract data or activate a device's camera and microphone to spy on its owners, and has been used to target over 1,000 people across 50 countries, including activists and journalists.

Judge Calama has ordered an expert analysis to compare the technical data from the French and Spanish investigations in order to determine the authorship of the cyber attacks. The judge expects increased information-sharing with French authorities once the analysis is completed, allowing for joint and coordinated action by the two countries' judicial authorities to uncover who was responsible for the Pegasus spyware surveillance.

The judge has summoned NSO Group managers, who provided some information to French authorities but denied responsibility for the infections. "The goal is for the French and Spanish judicial authorities to coordinate their efforts to uncover who was responsible for the Pegasus spyware surveillance in both countries," stated a court official familiar with the investigation. As the probe moves forward, it aims to shed light on the alleged espionage targeting high-level government figures and hold those responsible accountable.

Key Takeaways

• Spanish judge reopens probe into Pegasus spyware targeting PM Sánchez.
• Probe relaunched after French request to collaborate on similar investigation.
• Spyware allegedly used to target Spanish govt officials and French leaders.
• Judge orders expert analysis to determine authorship of cyber attacks.
• Probe aims to uncover responsibility for Pegasus surveillance in both countries.