Morocco: Amnesty accuses Morocco of using spyware on rights activists

Posted On 10 October 2019

Number of times this article was read : 76

London, Oct 10, 2019 – Two rights activists in Morocco have been targeted by surveillance technology developed by an Israeli firm that enables the sender to seize near-full control of mobile devices, Amnesty International said Thursday. The rights group said academic and activist Maati Monjib and human rights lawyer Abdessadak El Bouchattaoui had received SMS messages containing malicious links through spyware developed by Israel’s NSO Group.

“Amnesty International’s research has uncovered chilling new evidence that further illustrates how NSO Group’s malicious spyware is enabling state-sponsored repression of human rights defenders,” Danna Ingleton of Amnesty’s technology division said in a statement. Clicking on the links would have allowed “the sender to obtain near-total control of the phone” by secretly installing Pegasus software, Amnesty said. The rights group alleged that the same technology was used to target one of its own staff and a Saudi rights activist in June 2018. Bouchattaoui was in 2018 handed a two-year sentence by a Moroccan criminal court for online comments criticising the conduct of security forces towards protesters, while Monjib was in 2015 accused of “threatening… internal security”, according to Amnesty.

“NSO Group is known to only sell its spyware to government intelligence and law enforcement agencies, raising serious concerns that Moroccan security agencies are behind the surveillance,” Amnesty said. NSO says it does not operate the Pegasus system, only licensing it to closely vetted government users “for the sole purpose of preventing or investigating serious crime including terrorism”.

By AFP

The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Sahel: A Primer on the Northern Mali Crisis

Sahel: A Primer on the Northern Mali Crisis

Northern Mali has always been a region of turmoil, and the responsibility for the misery there starts with the central government in Bamako. Violence, social, economic and environmental turmoil has hit the people of the Azawad region hard, deeply affecting the Tuareg,...

Algeria boosts defense budget to tackle cross-border threats

Algeria boosts defense budget to tackle cross-border threats

Algeria’s draft Finance Law for the year 2025 earmarks record spending for its military and defense.  The Ministry of Defense, which oversees the country’s armed forces, will receive more than US$25 billion, an increase of over 10% compared to 2024.  The move is...

Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control

Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control

While the world is focused on the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, a power struggle continues to destabilize Libya, with protagonists competing for the control of the armed forces. Three factions are now at the center of an ongoing struggle over the fate of the...

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This