Pegasus probe in Spain closed due to lack of Israeli cooperation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Jul 2023 23:18

The investigation was launched in May 2022 after the Spanish government said the spyware infiltrated the mobile phones of several high-ranking officials.

The NSO group logo is seen at the front entrance of a building (AP)

A court statement said Monday that Spain's High Court shelved the investigation on the alleged hacking of ministers' phones with Pegasus spyware, a program made by Israeli company NSO group, due to a "complete" lack of cooperation on the part of "Israel".

In June of last year, a formal request for international judicial assistance was filed by Jose Luis Calama to the Israeli government, requesting information about the software as well as an in-person meeting with the chief executive of NSO.

However, the Audiencia Nacional, Spain's top criminal court, said on Monday that Calama decided to provisionally close the case "due to the complete lack of legal cooperation from "Israel," which has not responded to the rogatory commission... and has prevented the investigation from going ahead".

The investigation was launched in May 2022 after the Spanish government said the program infiltrated the mobile phones of high-ranking officials to spy on them.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Agriculture Minister Luis Planas are among the politicians whose phones have been contaminated, reports said.

But "Israel" never responded to the inquiry which has reportedly been sent "four times," leading the Court to conclude "it probably never would."

"All that remains is a possible diplomatic channel capable of promoting compliance with the obligations derived from international treaties," it said.

Between October 2020 and December 2021, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was allegedly hacked five different times, the court said.

The statement added that despite an extended analysis of the four phones, it had not been possible to identify "who was behind the attacks."

After Spain's authorities placed the responsibility on "an external attack", the press said Morocco was responsible for it, given the current state of diplomatic ties between the two countries.