Morocco denounces 'unjust' EU actions over Pegasus spyware
The European Parliament prepares to hear from specialists, human rights campaigners, and journalists about charges that Morocco employed Israeli spyware against politicians and journalists, which Rabat denies.
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This studio photo shows a smartphone with the website of Israeli NSO Group which features 'Pegasus' spyware. (AFP)
The Moroccan parliament criticized what it called an "unjust campaign" against it in the European Parliament on Wednesday, ahead of a hearing in Brussels on the use of Israeli-made Pegasus spyware by the North African country.
On Thursday, the European Parliament will hear from specialists, human rights campaigners, and journalists about charges that Morocco employed Israeli spyware against politicians and journalists, which Rabat denies.
Commenting on this issue, Rachid Talbi Alami, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, said, "Our country suffers hostile actions and attacks at the European Parliament, which have forced us to reevaluate our relations with it."
Last month, parliament unanimously decided to reassess relations with the European Parliament, accusing it of interference in the aftermath of a motion urging the Kingdom to protect press freedoms.
The European "campaign continues with the announced debate over old claims of espionage against the leaders of a European country," Alami added on Wednesday.
Morocco filed lawsuits in France to refute accusations that it used Pegasus software to spy on President Emmanuel Macron. However, the lawsuits were found inadmissible by French courts.
In a videoconference on Thursday, Rabat's lawyer, Olivier Baratelli, told MPs that "Morocco has long been the target of international destabilization efforts. It has not stopped denouncing these unjust and speculative claims."
Following the European resolution on press freedom, Morocco's parliament unanimously voted to reassess its relations with the European Parliament, and on Tuesday established a committee to investigate the matter.
It is worth noting that the Israeli-led spyware industry has been embroiled in a seemingly never-ending spate of extremely prominent controversies. Revelations that it sells its spyware to authoritarian regimes, that its products have been used to spy on journalists, activists, politicians, and even potentially world leaders, and accusations that it played a role in murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death have put it at the center of international criticism.
