Key facts
- A former Moroccan intelligence insider has revealed extensive use of Pegasus spyware by the DGST.
- The spyware was deployed against domestic and foreign targets, including journalists, activists, and politicians.
- Evidence suggests Morocco began using Pegasus in 2017 and continued for four years.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Defense Minister Margarita Robles were among those targeted.
- An investigation by a media consortium, supported by Amnesty International, uncovered the details.
A former member of Morocco’s domestic intelligence service has provided unprecedented insight into the country's alleged use of the Pegasus hacking software. The whistleblower, known by the pseudonym Safir, claims that Morocco's Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire (DGST) began using Pegasus spyware in 2017 and deployed it against domestic and foreign targets for approximately four years.
Pegasus, developed by Israel-based NSO Group, allows operators to access all data on a target's mobile phone, including communications, photos, and can activate the device's camera and microphone. While NSO Group states the software is sold only to governments for tracking criminals and terrorists, it has been widely alleged that several countries have used it to target dissidents, journalists, and politicians.
Morocco has consistently denied these allegations. However, Safir's testimony, corroborated by leaked materials and analysis from Amnesty International’s Security Lab, forms the basis of a collaborative investigation by 14 media organizations coordinated by Forbidden Stories. The investigation reveals that NSO Group demonstrated Pegasus to Moroccan intelligence officers in 2017, highlighting its remote-infection capabilities.
The whistleblower suggested that the UAE provided Pegasus to Morocco, likening it to a shared subscription. Before adopting Pegasus, the DGST reportedly used less sophisticated methods. Evidence indicates that Moroccan mobile numbers were used for testing Pegasus in September 2017, with targeting soon extending beyond Morocco's borders.
Records show over 200 Spanish mobile numbers were targeted, including those of prominent human rights activist Aminatou Haidar and journalist Ignacio Cembrero. In May 2022, Spain revealed that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Defense Minister Margarita Robles had their phones infected with Pegasus in May and June 2021, during a diplomatic dispute with Morocco. The phones of Spain's interior and agriculture ministers were also targeted.
Judicial investigations in Spain into the targeting of government officials have faced challenges, including a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities. However, analysis suggests the DGST was responsible for targeting senior Spanish politicians, with the same Moroccan Pegasus system account used to target French officials also used against Spanish ministers.